Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today transferred the 13th installment of about Rs 16,800 crore under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme of the Government of India, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of more than 8 crore beneficiary farmers across the country. Thousands of farmers were present in this huge programme at Belagavi in Karnataka, while crores of farmers and others joined online. Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basavraj Bommai, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and other elected representatives were also present on the occasion.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Shri Modi said that today the whole of India has got a big gift from Belagavi. Today, another installment of PM-Kisan has been transferred to the farmers of the country. On just one click, more than Rs. 16,000 crores have reached the bank accounts of crores of farmers across the country. Such a huge amount has been transferred in a moment, no middleman, no cut-commission, no corruption, this is Modi’s Government, every bit is yours, it is for you. There are 80-85% of small farmers in India, now these Small Farmers are a priority of the government. About Rs. 2.5 lakh crores so far has been deposited in the accounts of these small farmers. Of this, more than Rs. 50,000 crores has been deposited in the accounts of our sisters and mothers. The Prime Minister said that since 2014, the country has been continuously moving towards a transformational change in agriculture. We are associating agriculture with modernity. In 2014, the budget of Agriculture was Rs. 25,000 crores, whereas this time our Agricultural Budget is more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore. We are connecting more and more farmers with Kisan Credit Cards. Our government has always kept the interests of sugarcane farmers paramount. In this year’s budget, an important decision has been taken related to sugarcane farmers. We have launched the PM Pranam Yojana for the farmers, through this, the States that reduce the use of chemical fertilizer will get additional help from the Center.
Shri Modi said that our Millets are capable of facing every season, every situation and these are also more nutritious, so in this year’s budget, we have given a new identity to coarse grains as Shree Anna. In view of the challenges of the future in Agriculture of the country, we are determined to bring life to them. The Prime Minister said that in the transforming India today, development work is being done one after the other, giving preference to every deprived. In our country, small farmers were ignored for decades, now these small farmers are in the priority of our government. Prime Minister Shri Modi said that be it Farming, Industry, Tourism, better Education or better Health, all these emerge stronger with good connectivity. So for the past years we have been focusing a lot on the connectivity of Karnataka. At present, work is going on railway projects in Karnataka worth Rs.45,000 crores.
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar said that when Prime Minister Shri Modi spoke about increasing the income of farmers and gave a call for this across the country, the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme was launched by the government, due to which the farmers are constantly being benefitted. This itself is an innovative programme in the world. Nowhere else in the world, such a large number, such a large amount, is deposited directly in the bank accounts of farmers, it does not happen in any other country. It is a matter of pride that so far Rs. 2.24 lakh crores has been transferred to the accounts of about 11.5 crore farmers. And today the Prime Minister transferred Rs 16,800 crore towards the 13th installment of the farmers to the bank accounts of the farmers. He said that ever since Prime Minister Shri Modi assumed office, it has been his constant endeavour how to make the farmers prosperous, how the country moves forward, how the condition of the village, poor and farmers improves, so now the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture is raised to Rs 1.25 lakh crore, which is benefiting farmers across the country. Not only this, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PM Crop Insurance scheme), the Agri Infrastructure Fund worth Rs 1 lakh crore and Rs. 50,000 crores worth of funds for Agriculture and Allied sectors have been launched. Adequate investment has been made to fill gaps everywhere so that the Agriculture becomes remunerative. In this budget also, along with financing the Agri Startups, promoting Natural Farming, Millets and Horticultural crops, development through technology in the Agriculture sector, increasing plantations, enough provisions have been made for every subject, which is benefitting the Agriculture sector and will continue.
Shri Tomar thanked the farmers that they are taking full advantage of the policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, due to which their income is increasing day by day. Export of Agricultural products increased to Rs 4 lakh crore, which is the highest ever. Today, the results we are witnessing, as well as in the case of food grains, we are AatmaNirbhar (self-sufficient), India is in the first or second position in the world in most agricultural products, all this is being possible due to PM Modi’s policies. The Government of India is trying to move ahead hand in hand with the State Governments and the farmers, if the farmers prosper, the country will prosper, if there will be prosperity in the farmers’ home, then there will be prosperity in the country, so everyone should help the farmers prosper. On the proposal of Prime Minister Shri Modi, the United Nations first accepted the proposal of the first Yoga Day, which most countries are adopting, similarly Millets (Shree Annna) should be promoted in the world, get place of pride in our food plates, hence on the initiative of the Prime Minister the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, all of us should think over how the production and productivity of Millets grows, consumption of Shree Annna increases, as well as boost their exports.
(Source: PIB)
