Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) — Operational Guidelines
45%
Of Net Sown Area Under Irrigation At Launch — 65 Of 141 Million Hectares
60%
Of Annual Allocation Released As First Instalment To A State
5%
Cap On Administrative Expenses, Pro-rata At Each Level
25%
Of Sanctioned Projects Compulsorily Under Third-Party Evaluation
Video Explanation & Insights
What PMKSY Is, and the Gap It Fills
Source: This page decodes the Operational Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) as originally issued by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, together with the recommended baseline datasets. Every objective, threshold, committee composition, release condition and percentage set out below is drawn strictly from that document.
Two warnings before anything below is used — read both. First, the acronym. “PMKSY” denotes two entirely different Central schemes: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (irrigation and water management, this page, under Jal Shakti, RD and Agriculture) and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (food processing grants under MoFPI, which has private PIAs). Second, the vintage. The document decoded here is the original 2015 operational guideline. Substantial parts of the architecture have since changed — see Section 0.
The umbrella irrigation programme launched on the motto ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’ and ‘Per Drop More Crop’ amalgamates four programme components across three Ministries into a single end-to-end solution. PMKSY is not an application-based subsidy; funds flow from the Centre to State Governments, against District and State Irrigation Plans, sanctioned by a State Level Sanctioning Committee.
The Ten Stated Objectives
- •Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, through district and, if required, sub-district level water use plans.
- •Enhance physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation — Har Khet Ko Pani.
- •Integrate water source, distribution and efficient use through appropriate technologies and practices.
- •Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage and increase availability in both duration and extent.
- •Enhance adoption of precision irrigation and water saving technologies — More Crop Per Drop.
- •Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices.
- •Ensure integrated development of rainfed areas using the watershed approach.
- •Promote extension activities on water harvesting, water management and crop alignment.
- •Explore the feasibility of reusing treated municipal waste water for peri-urban agriculture.
- •Attract greater private investment in irrigation.
Strategy and Focus Areas
- •Creation of new water sources; repair, restoration and renovation of defunct sources; Traditional village water bodies (Jal Mandir, Eri, traditional storages, etc.).
- •Developing or augmenting the distribution network where irrigation sources exist or are created.
- •Scientific moisture conservation and runoff control to improve groundwater recharge.
- •Efficient conveyance and field application devices within the farm — underground piping, drip, sprinklers, pivots.
- •Community irrigation through user groups, FPOs and NGOs.
What the 2011-12 baseline at Appendix-a shows about Rajasthan: net sown area of 18.03 million hectares with 10.91 million rainfed (61% rainfed). This dynamic baseline influences inter-state allocations since funding parameters weigh the share of unirrigated area.
The Scheme Has Been Restructured Twice — Read This First
PMKSY was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 1 July 2015. It was subsequently continued for 2021-22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of ₹93,068 crore. In that continuation, the component architecture was reshaped.
| Matter | As per these 2015 guidelines | Position as subsequently reported |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme period | Initial phase = remaining two years of the XII Plan; original tenure 2015-16 to 2019-20 | Continued for 2021-22 to 2025-26, outlay ₹93,068 crore. That cycle ended 31 March 2026; the position for FY 2026-27 onward is not settled. |
| Components continued | Four — AIBP, Har Khet Ko Pani, Per Drop More Crop, Watershed Development | AIBP, HKKP and Watershed Development approved for continuation during 2021-26. |
| Per Drop More Crop | A PMKSY component, implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation | Implemented under PMKSY during 2015-22; taken up under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2022-23 — it is no longer a PMKSY component. |
| Ground Water development | Contemplated within Har Khet Ko Pani | A sub-component of HKKP, but provisionally approved only up to March 2022. |
| HKKP sub-components | Not separately enumerated in this text | Four — Command Area Development & Water Management, Surface Minor Irrigation, Repair, Renovation & Restoration of Water Bodies, and Ground Water Development. |
| Implementing Ministries | Ministry of Agriculture (DAC) as scheme owner; component Ministries decide implementing departments | AIBP and HKKP — Ministry of Jal Shakti. Watershed Development — Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. |
| Nomenclature | Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture | Now the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. |
| Funding pattern | As per the pattern of assistance decided by Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog — no ratio stated | Reported as 75:25 Centre-State for general States and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States. |
What this means for the way the page below should be used. The 2015 guidelines remain the best available statement of PMKSY's design logic — the planning discipline, area-development model, SLSC-IDWG-DLIC chain, and convergence philosophy. However, the exact components, outlay, and ministries must be verified against component-specific guidelines issued by Jal Shakti or Land Resources for any live matter.
One Umbrella, Four Programmes, Each with Its Own Parent Ministry
| Component | What it covers |
|---|---|
| A. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) | Focused on faster completion of ongoing major and medium irrigation projects, including National Projects. |
| B. PMKSY (Har Khet Ko Pani) | Creation of new water sources through minor irrigation; repair, restoration and renovation of water bodies and traditional village sources; command area development; ground water development; lift irrigation; at least 10% command area to be under precision/micro irrigation. |
| C. PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop) | Precision water application devices (drips, sprinklers, rain-guns); topping up input cost under civil construction beyond the 40% MGNREGS limit; micro irrigation structures in non-critical groundwater areas; secondary storage at canal tails; water lifting devices (pumpsets); extension and capacity building; ICT. |
| D. PMKSY (Watershed Development) | Runoff management, soil and moisture conservation on a watershed basis (ridge and drainage line treatment, check dams); convergence with MGNREGS for rainfed blocks. |
Illustrative Activities at Appendix-b
Appendix-b lists activities component-wise, including check dams, farm ponds, check walls, contour trenching, afforestation, pasture development, and livelihood support for the asset-less. Under the Watershed component, the illustrative list runs to check dams, farm ponds, contour bunding, pasture development, and micro enterprises.
Note the component that has since left: Per Drop More Crop (micro-irrigation) has been taken up under RKVY since 2022-23. Any current micro-irrigation queries run through RKVY, not PMKSY.
The Cornerstone — No Plan, No Funds
The District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) identify gaps in irrigation infrastructure against currently available and resource additions from MGNREGS, RKVY, RIDF, MPLAD, MLALAD, and local body funds.
How a DIP is Built
- •Holistic perspective integrating water sources, distribution network, and water use applications for all water uses.
- •Block and district level planning through participatory consultation including PRIs and State Agriculture Universities.
- •Use of satellite imagery, topo sheets, and databases.
- •Cropping systems aligned to the designed quantity of water and suited to local agro-ecology.
From DIP to SIP
The State Irrigation Plan consolidates DIPs, correlates them with the State Agriculture Plan for RKVY, prioritises resources, and details annual action plans overseen by ATMA.
The planning requirement is also the eligibility requirement — and that is the point most often missed. The DIP and SIP are not preparatory paperwork sitting ahead of a funding application. A State becomes eligible to access PMKSY funds only if it has prepared them. Any project must be traceable to the District Irrigation Plan to be vetted and sanctioned.
The State Has to Spend More to Be Allowed to Receive More
Eligibility of a State — the Dynamic Allocation Test
- •State's current-year agriculture water resource development expenditure must not be less than the baseline (3-year rolling average).
- •Additional weightage for levying water/electricity charges for sustainability.
- •Inter-State allocation weighted by: State's share of unirrigated area (including DDP/DPAP prominence), increase in irrigation expenditure share, and irrigation efficiency improvement.
Cost Norms and Pattern of Assistance
- •Technical standards and cost patterns follow the existing guidelines of the respective Ministries/Departments.
- •Where no Central norms exist, State norms apply; if none exist, the SLPSC must certify reasonableness.
- •Funding pattern follows Centrally Sponsored Scheme guidelines (75:25 Centre-State for general States and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States).
The maintenance-of-effort test deserves attention in its own right. Because baseline is measured across all departments (irrigation, agriculture, rural development, watershed), a State that reduces its own irrigation spending can lose access to Central funds.
Area Development Mode, Projectised Execution, Nodal Department
Implementation adopts an area development mode with projectised execution, letting States plan on a 5 to 7 year horizon.
Allocation Splits
- •About 50% of funds prioritised for districts with larger unirrigated area, lower productivity, and high SC/ST or small farmer populations.
- •Remaining 50% prioritised for terminal-stage project saturation.
Project Reports and Nodal Department
- •DPR vetting by State Level Coordinating agency before placed to IDWG and SLSC.
- •Any project activity costing >₹25 crore requires third-party techno-financial evaluation.
- •State Agriculture Department acts as the Nodal Department for supervision and overall coordination.
“Area development mode” is the phrase that decides who the client is. Because PMKSY funds a geography against a plan, the advisory work under this scheme looks nothing like grant-in-aid work under MoFPI or MSME schemes. It involves plan preparation, project structuring, and techno-financial evaluations.
Five Bodies, and the One Whose Quorum Can Stall a Sanction
| Committee | Chairperson & Role |
|---|---|
| National Steering Committee (NSC) | Chaired by Prime Minister. Provides policy and strategic direction. |
| National Executive Committee (NEC) | Chaired by Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. Oversees execution, coordination and allocation. |
| State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) | Chaired by State Chief Secretary. Sanctions specific projects and SIPs. |
| Inter Departmental Working Group (IDWG) | Chaired by Agriculture Production Commissioner. Scrutinises line department proposals. |
| District Level Implementation Committee (DLIC) | Chaired by District Collector. Formulates DIPs and reviews district execution. |
The SLSC Quorum Constraint
Besides the Ministry of Agriculture, the SLSC includes GoI representatives from Water Resources, Land Resources and Rural Development. The quorum is not complete without at least two GoI representatives being present.
The “other funds first” rule is the sequencing trap in this scheme. The IDWG is required to satisfy itself that funds under other schemes (MGNREGS, RKVY, etc.) have already been accessed or planned for before a project comes under PMKSY. If a proposal has not first been tested against these, it is vulnerable to rejection.
Two Instalments, 60% Upfront, and the 75% Utilisation Gate
Fund Release Mechanics
- •Annual allocation released in two instalments: 1st instalment (60%) released after SIP and Action Plan approval; 2nd instalment (40%) released based on utilisation.
- •2nd Instalment triggers: utilisation of at least 75% of total resources (including unspent balance and State matching share), physical progress reporting, and submission of Utilisation Certificates.
Project Audit and Evaluation
- •Administrative expenses capped at 5% of annual allocation.
- •Compulsory third-party evaluation of at least 25% of projects sanctioned under PMKSY.
Release is performance-gated. Delays in State matching contributions or UC submissions directly block subsequent Central releases.