PATNA, JUN 17 (PTI): Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that food grain production in the country has increased by 71 per cent over the past 12 years.
Addressing a press conference here, Chouhan said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several agricultural reforms and policies have been brought to benefit farmers as well as to increase food grain production.
“The country has witnessed a 71 per cent increase in food grain production over the last 12 years. The government’s focus has consistently remained on fulfilling public aspirations. This 12-year tenure of Modi ji is the golden era of India’s reconstruction and the fulfilment of public aspirations,” the Union minister said.
The Modi government’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, has transformed the lives of villagers, poor, farmers, women, and youth, he added.
Our PM has scripted a new saga of development and public welfare from Jan Dhan accounts to Ayushman Bharat, and from PM Awas Yojana to Digital India revolution, etc, said Chouhan also the Union Rural Development minister. Under Modi ji’s leadership, the country is advancing toward the goal of a Developed India, he said. Schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and PM-Kisan, he said, have brought transformative changes to the lives of farmers.
He further said the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB G RAM G will be implemented across the country from July 1 this year. He also said that all pending payments under MGNREGA will be cleared before June 30.
Earlier in the day, the Union minister held a high-level meeting in Patna to review various issues related to Bihar’s agriculture and rural development sectors. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and senior officials of different departments were also present in the meeting.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, “Several important decisions were taken to increase farmers’ income, strengthen rural infrastructure, and accelerate the implementation of welfare schemes at the grassroots level. It was agreed that all pending MGNREGA payments would be cleared before June 30 with the assistance of the Central government.
The CM also highlighted the state’s success in implementing the Lakhpati Didi initiative under the Central government’s livelihood programme in the meeting. “Bihar currently ranks first in the country in converting Jeevika Didis into Lakhpati Didis, and the state intends to further strengthen this achievement. Further, the CM said that special centres would be created for crops such as onions, tomatoes, and mangoes to encourage innovation and improve productivity”, said the statement.
Prior to this, Chouhan participated in a cleanliness drive in Patna to mark 12 years of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. He also participated in a plantation drive at the MLA Flats complex, where he linked environmental conservation with public participation and conveyed the message of service to the earth.
The final leg of the visit took Chouhan to Naubatpur, where he interacted directly with farmers under the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan”.
He stressed the importance of balanced use of chemical fertilisers, soil testing, access to Kisan Credit Cards, and greater awareness about government welfare schemes. Reiterating the Centre’s commitment to rural prosperity, he said that the government’s priority remains “Prosperous Farmers, Empowered Villages, and a Self-Reliant India”.
