Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Serving agriculture, farmers like worshipping God

Ahead of the release of the 17th instalment of PM-Kisan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi on June 18, his first public function in his Lok Sabha constituency after entering office for a third time, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Saturday that “serving agriculture and farmers is like worshipping God”.

Chouhan told reporters: “I am happy the first thing that the Prime Minister signed, after taking oath, was the file of Kisan Samman Nidhi. And his first programme is also being held in Baba Vishwanath’s city Kashi, where the Prime Minister will release Kisan Samman Nidhi in the accounts of farmers with a single click.”

“I am thankful to the Prime Minister that he has given me the responsibility of an important department like agriculture. Agriculture is the most important department to fulfil the resolution of a developed India. Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. Even today, most of the employment opportunities are created through agriculture and farmers are filling the food reserves of the country. For us, serving agriculture and farmers is like worshipping God,” he said.

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“That is why, after taking charge, I have been in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for four consecutive days from morning till late night and am studying everything thoroughly,” he said.

“On June 18, an amount of about Rs 20,000 crores will be transferred to the bank accounts of 9.3 crore farmers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Governor (of Uttar Pradesh), UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state’s Agriculture Minister will be present in the Prime Minister’s programme at Kashi,” he said.

“50 special Krishi Vigyan Kendras have been identified at different places in the country, where different Union Ministers will go and join the programme virtually and will interact with the farmers present there,” he said.

“Apart from this, this programme is being planned at all the mandis, block places and in every gram panchayat in many states. About 2 crore farmers will participate in this programme,” he said.

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Asked whether Chief Ministers of Opposition-ruled states have also been invited to the programme, Chouhan said, “I have written a letter to all Chief Ministers and have requested them to join this programme. I believe that this is a programme of the farmers and there is no question of any ruling or Opposition (party) here. I request all the Chief Ministers to join the programme.”

He said the Prime Minister will also give certificates to more than 30,000 Krishi Sakhis who have been trained under a government initiative to make members of women self-help groups “Lakhpati didis”.

“We have started the Krishi Sakhi programme in 12 states right now. It has been started in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya,” he said.

“Keeping in view the important role of women in agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Now, both of them will run this programme together,” said Singh who also holds the Rural Development portfolio.

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On the 100 days agenda, he said, “The Prime Minister has entrusted the responsibility of making a 100-day action plan to every department. We have reviewed that action plan and we will release it soon.”

“We all know that even in his second term, agriculture and farmers have been the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and he has taken many steps for the welfare of farmers,” he said.

Chouhan later held discussions with agriculture experts including NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand and former Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal.