PM releases Rs 16,800 crore under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammaan Yojana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said the Union Budget allocation for Agriculture has increased from Rs 25, 000 crore in 2014 to Rs 1,25,000 crore now. He said this while releasing the 13th instalment of over Rs 16,800 crore under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammaan Yojana to benefit eight crore farmers across the country from Belagavi in Karnataka.

Emphasising that the Government is dedicated to the welfare of small farmers, the Prime Minister said that a number of steps are being taken to cut down input costs by encouraging natural farming and cutting down the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Traditional farming techniques are being introduced to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. Millet production is promoted. Sugarcane farmers are benefiting due to the increase in the use of ethanol. Special incentives are given for the construction of godowns, he said.The Cooperative sector is given impetus. 

The Prime Minister said that Congress has the habit of insulting its leaders. He quoted the incidents of the party insulting its senior leaders from the State S Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil in the past. With about two months to go for Assembly polls in Karnataka, Modi used the occasion of the public meeting at Belagavi to hit out at the Congress as he targeted "dynastic parties", comments which are also seen to be targeted at former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S), besides the Kharge-led party.

Thousands of farmers attend programme at Belagavi where Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar also present. Modi said since 2014, the country is constantly moving towards transformational change in agriculture

He said there are 80-85 per cent small farmers in India, who are a priority of the government. About Rs. 2.5 lakh crore 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 fertiliser will get additional help from the Centre," he said.

Modi said that Millets are capable of facing every season, every situation and these are also more nutritious, so in this year's budget, the government has given a new identity to coarse grains as Shree Anna. The Agriculture Minister said adequate investment has been made to fill gaps everywhere so that the agriculture becomes remunerative. 

In this budget also, he said, 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.