LUCKNOW, June 18 -- In a continuing bid to sharpen its focus on farmers, the Uttar Pradesh government is planning to turn the release of the 23rd instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi on June 20, being observed as PM Kisan Utsav Diwas, into a major political event across the state. The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, a flagship scheme of the Union government launched in February 2019, provides income support of Rs.6,000 annually to eligible farmer families. More than Rs.4.28 lakh crore has been transferred to beneficiaries across the country through 22 instalments so far. PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to release the 23rd instalment at Tarkeshwar in Hooghly, West Bengal, on June 20. The UP government is making arrangements to ensure the virtual participation of farmers from village panchayats, development blocks and district headquarters across UP. The event comes days after chief minister Yogi Adityanath interacted with 170 farmers who arrived in Lucknow by the first commercial flight from Noida International Airport. Through an order issued on June 16, the state government directed divisional commissioners and district magistrates to ensure the participation of public representatives, including Union ministers, state ministers, MPs and MLAs, in the PM Kisan Utsav Diwas celebrations. A special campaign, Khet Bachao Abhiyan, launched by the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers' welfare on June 1, aims to ensure complete coverage of eligible farmers under the scheme. Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi confirmed that senior ministers would participate in programmes across the state. He said he would attend the event in Deoria. htc...