Krishi Bhagya Scheme
Up to 80% subsidy — 90% for SC/ST farmers — on a farm pond, its lining and a pump, so rainfed land gets one protective irrigation.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka
- General category
- 80% subsidy
- SC / ST farmers
- 90% subsidy
- Covers
- Pond, lining and pump
- Payment
- After construction is verified
- First launched
- 22 July 2014 (revived 2023)
- Cumulative ponds built
- ~1.70 lakh statewide
Overview
Krishi Bhagya is built around one idea: on rainfed land, the difference between a crop and a failed crop is usually a single irrigation at the wrong moment in the monsoon. So the scheme funds the whole chain needed to store runoff — the farm pond (krishi honda), the polythene lining that stops it seeping away, and a pump to lift the water back out.
The subsidy covers 80 per cent of the cost for general-category farmers and 90 per cent for SC and ST farmers. It is back-ended: you build first, an agriculture officer verifies the work, and the subsidy is then released. Budget for the full cost up front and treat the subsidy as a reimbursement.
Krishi Bhagya was first launched on 22 July 2014, but was discontinued under the subsequent state government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government revived it in 2023, rolling it out to 106 taluks across 24 districts for 2023-24 with a ₹200 crore budget (₹100 crore of it released through supplementary estimates), before expanding it to every taluk in every district statewide by 20 May 2024.
Since its original 2014 launch, the scheme has helped build roughly 1.70 lakh farm ponds across Karnataka. In the current revived phase alone, more than 1 lakh farmers across 131 taluks and 25 districts had received a combined ₹968.37 crore in assistance, with a target of 30,000-40,000 new ponds for 2023-24.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- 80% subsidy on a farm pond for general-category farmers, 90% for SC and ST farmers.
- The polythene lining is covered too — without it a pond in light soil empties by seepage.
- A pump to lift stored water back to the field is part of the same package.
- One protective irrigation at flowering is often the difference between a harvest and a loss on rainfed land.
- Available in every taluk of every district statewide since 20 May 2024, after starting more narrowly in its revived 2023-24 phase.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Farmer cultivating rainfed land in Karnataka
- Land record (RTC / pahani) in your name
- Holding suitable for a pond of the notified dimensions
- Application through the Raitha Samparka Kendra before construction starts
Not covered
- Work started or completed before sanction — the subsidy is not paid retrospectively
- Land already served by assured irrigation
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- RTC / pahani land record
- Aadhaar card
- Caste certificate, for the SC/ST subsidy rate
- Bank passbook
- Passport-size photograph
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply at the Raitha Samparka Kendra
Applications are taken at the RSK and on the Raitamitra portal. Apply before starting any work.
- 2
Wait for sanction, then build
Build only after the sanction order. Work done before sanction is not eligible, however correct the pond itself may be.
- 3
Get it verified and claim
The Agriculture Officer measures and verifies the completed pond. The subsidy is then released to your account.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Delays in sanction or subsidy release should first be raised at the Raitha Samparka Kendra (RSK) or with the Agriculture Officer handling the application.
- If unresolved, escalate to Janaspandana (iPGRS) — Karnataka's general public-grievance system — on the toll-free helpline 1902, through the portal at ipgrs.karnataka.gov.in, or at a Bapuji Seva Kendra.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get the money before building the pond?
No. The subsidy is back-ended — you fund the construction, an Agriculture Officer verifies it, and the subsidy is reimbursed afterwards.
Is the polythene lining included?
Yes. The lining is part of the package, and it matters — in light soils an unlined pond loses most of what it collects to seepage.
What subsidy do SC/ST farmers get?
90 per cent, against 80 per cent for the general category. The caste certificate has to be submitted with the application for the higher rate.
Has Krishi Bhagya always been running, or did it stop at some point?
It was first launched on 22 July 2014 but was discontinued under the following state government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government revived it in 2023, and it has been available statewide in every taluk since 20 May 2024.
How many farm ponds has this scheme actually built?
Roughly 1.70 lakh farm ponds statewide since the scheme's original 2014 launch. In its current revived phase alone, more than 1 lakh farmers have received a combined ₹968.37 crore in assistance so far.
Is it available in my taluk?
Krishi Bhagya was extended to every taluk in every district of Karnataka by 20 May 2024, so it should be available wherever you farm — confirm current-year sanction and budget availability at your Raitha Samparka Kendra.
Facts checked against raitamitra.karnataka.gov.in on 20 October 2026. editorial policy.