PM Narendra Modi
Credit: @NarendraModi via PTI Photo
New Delhi: Accusing previous Congress governments of neglecting the farm sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Opposition party lacked "vision" and strategy for the growth of this crucial sector.
The PM addressed a gathering after launching two major agricultural schemes with an outlay of Rs 35,440 crore to boost pulses production and improve the farm sector growth in 100 low-performing districts.
Modi, in a special event at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa campus here, launched a Rs 24,000-crore 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' (PM-DDKY) and a Rs 11,440-crore 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses'.
Talking about the two new big schemes, the Prime Minister said that the Centre would invest over Rs 35,000 crore in PM-DDKY and pulses mission, which he said would change the "fate of crores of farmers".
The two schemes, already approved by the Cabinet, will be implemented from the upcoming rabi (winter) season till 2030-31.
The PM also inaugurated projects valued at over Rs 5,450 crore in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors, and laid foundation stone for additional projects worth around Rs 815 crore.
Modi said he changed the "careless approach" of previous governments towards farming, and brought many reforms in the farm sector, from seeds to the marketplace. The Centre made efforts to increase investment in the farm sector.
He said the government has increased the agriculture budget six times in the last 11 years.
Taking aim at the Opposition party, Modi said while the NDA government has given Rs 13 lakh crore subsidy on fertilisers in 10 years, of which Rs 3.75 lakh crore has been provided to farmers under PM-Kisan scheme, Rs 5 lakh crore subsidy was given in 10 years of the UPA government.
Modi underscored that farmers have a critical role to play in realising the vision of a developed India (Viksit Bharat) by 2047.
Under the pulses mission, Modi said the aim is to increase pulses acreage by 35 lakh hectares by 2030 to boost production and achieve self-reliance. The mission targets raising pulses output from the current 252.38 lakh tonne to 350 lakh tonne by 2030-31.
The PM-DDKY, modelled on the government's Aspirational Districts Programme, will target 100 low-performing agricultural districts and integrate 36 schemes from different ministries, he said.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh were present at the event.