Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released the 17th instalment of about Rs 20,000 crore under PM-KISAN and distributed certificates to over 30,000 self-help groups known as Krishi Sakhis in Varanasi today. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Smt. Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath, Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and several other State Ministers were present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister greeted the farmers present at the venue and linked with the event through technology and mentioned that 20,000 crore rupees got deposited in the account of the crores of farmers. He also talked about Krishi Sakhi initiative as a strong step in the direction of creating 3 crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’. The initiative will ensure the dignity and assurance of source of income for the beneficiary women, the Prime Minister said. “PM Kisan Samman Nidhi has emerged as the world’s largest direct benefit transfer scheme”, the Prime Minister said, highlighting that more than Rs 3.25 lakh crores have been transferred into the bank accounts of crores of farmers, where Rs 700 crores have been transferred to the families in Varanasi alone.

The Prime Minister lauded the use of technology in taking the benefits to the deserved beneficiaries and also credited the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra which enabled more than 1 crore farmers to register themselves under PM KISAN scheme. He further added that rules and regulations have been simplified to increase accessibility. “Work related to farmer’s welfare takes place at a fast pace when intentions and beliefs are in the right place”, Shri Modi added. The Prime Minister highlighted that the Krishi Sakhi program is a step in this direction similar to the Drone Didi program. Underlining the contribution of women as Asha workers and Bank Sakhis, the Prime Minister said that the nation will now witness their capabilities as Krishi Sakhis.

In his address during the program, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and the farmer is its soul. He said that for us the farmer is God and serving the farmers is like worshipping God. Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that it is the Prime Minister's commitment towards farmers and farming that after becoming the Prime Minister, he first signed the file for Kisan Samman Nidhi i.e. depositing money in the farmer's account and today he came here and conducted his first program among the farmers.

The Union Minister said that today after depositing Rs 20,000 crore in the accounts of about 9.25 crore farmers with a single click of the Prime Minister, a total of about Rs 3,25,000 crore has been deposited in the accounts of farmers so far. Shri Chouhan said that continuous work has been done on the roadmap to double the income of farmers. For this, on one hand, efforts are being made to increase production by using new technology through irrigation schemes, while on the other hand, to reduce the cost of production, the government gives subsidy of billions of rupees, due to which the farmer gets cheap fertilizers.

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development said that a wonderful scheme like Kisan Credit Card has freed the farmer from the clutches of moneylenders and small farmers are arranging fertilizers and seeds from Kisan Samman Nidhi. He said that as per the decision taken by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Minimum Support Price is fixed by giving at least 50 percent profit on the cost of the crop to get better prices for the crops to the farmers in all the states. Shri Chouhan said that if the crop is damaged in a natural disaster, then the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been made to compensate for it, while continuous efforts are being made for diversification of agriculture such as - promotion of flower farming, fruit farming, vegetable farming, medicinal farming, agro forestry, animal husbandry along with agriculture, beekeeping etc. so that the income of the farmer is doubled.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Agriculture Department will work day and night and will leave no stone unturned in the welfare of farmers under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Chouhan said that the Prime Minister has resolved to make three crore Lakhpati Didis, out of which about one crore Lakhpati Didis have already been made. One dimension of that is Krishi Sakhi, to whom certificates were also distributed today. He said that these are our sisters who have been trained to help farmers in their work and 34,000 such sisters have been trained so far. The Union Minister said that on one hand these Krishi Sakhis will help farmers in better farming methods and on the other hand, they will also be able to increase their income.

*******

SK/SS