In line with his commitment towards ensuring Farmers welfare, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today released the 19th instalment of PM KISAN from Bhagalpur, Bihar. He also launched many development projects during the occasion. Shri Modi welcomed all the dignitaries and the people who had joined the event virtually. He said it was a great fortune to step in the land of Mandarachal during the holy period of Maha Kumbh. He added that this place had spirituality, heritage as well as the potential for Viksit Bharat as well. Shri Modi remarked that it was the land of martyr Tilka Manjhi as well as renowned as Silk city. He added that there were preparations for the upcoming Maha Shivaratri too in the holy land of Baba Ajgaibinath. He said that he was fortunate to release the 19th instalment of PM KISAN during such a pious moment and around ₹22,000 crore was credited directly into the bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer.
The Prime Minister noted that there were around 75 lakh farmer families from Bihar who were beneficiaries of the PM KISAN scheme, whose 19th instalment was released today. He added that around ₹1,600 crore was credited directly into the bank accounts of Bihar farmers today. He extended his warm greetings to all the farmer families from Bihar and other parts of the country.
Reiterating the words from his speech at Red fort, Shri Modi said, “there are four main pillars of Viksit Bharat: poor, farmers, youth and women”. He added that whether it is the Central or the State Government, the welfare of farmers remains a priority. “We worked with full force to solve every problem of the farmers in the last decade”, said Shri Modi. He noted that farmers need good seeds, sufficient and affordable fertilizers, irrigation facilities, protection for their livestock from diseases, and safety from losses during disasters. Previously, farmers were plagued by these issues. The Prime Minister stated that their Government has changed this situation, highlighting that in recent years, hundreds of modern seed varieties have been provided to farmers. Earlier, farmers had to struggle for urea and face black marketing, while today, farmers receive sufficient fertilizers, he added. Shri Modi highlighted that even during the major crisis of the pandemic, the Government ensured no shortage of fertilizers for farmers. Remarking that if their Government had not been elected, then the farmers would still be struggling for fertilizers. He emphasized that the Barauni fertilizer plant would still be closed, and fertilizers that are available to Indian farmers for less than ₹300 per bag are being sold for ₹3,000 per bag in many countries. The Prime Minister highlighted that their Government has ensured that urea bags, which would have cost ₹3,000, are available at an affordable price today. He stated that the Government is committed to the welfare of farmers and works for their benefit. The cost of urea and DAP, which farmers would have had to bear, is being covered by the central government, he added. Shri Modi said that over the past 10 years, the central government had provided approximately ₹12 lakh crore, which would have otherwise come from the pockets of the farmers. This has saved a significant amount of money for crores of farmers across the country, he added.
Asserting that farmers would not have received the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, if their Government was not elected, the Prime Minister highlighted that in the six years since the scheme’s inception, approximately ₹3.7 lakh crore has been directly transferred to farmers’ accounts. Shri Modi emphasized that small farmers, who previously did not receive the full benefits of Government schemes, are now getting their due. He stated that intermediaries used to exploit the rights of small farmers, but he assured under his leadership and that of Shri Nitish Kumar, this will not be allowed to happen. The Prime Minister contrasted this with the previous governments, highlighting that the amount his Government has directly transferred to farmers’ bank accounts far exceeds the agricultural budget allocated by the previous Governments. He emphasized that such efforts can only be undertaken by a Government dedicated to the welfare of farmers and not by corrupt entities.
