New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said that agriculture is the backbone of India's economy, and farmers are the soul of it.

Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on demands for grants related to his ministry, the Union Minister alleged that farmers were killed under the Congress government's rule.

'I was shocked that Jawaharlal Nehru, in his Independence Day speech till 1963, mentioned the farmers only three times,' he said, adding that 'In Bihar, under the Congress government in 1986, police fired on farmers during a protest, leading to the death of 23 people. In 1988, in Uttar Pradesh, 5 farmers were killed.'

'Agriculture is the backbone of India's economy, and farmers are the soul of it. Farmers are the annadata. Rs 1,51,277 crore were allocated to the Union Ministry of Agriculture in ten years from 2004-14 during Congress rule. The NDA government has allocated Rs 10,75,600 crore for the agriculture sector,' he stated.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a visionary leader, he highlighted the government's steps to provide free ration to 80 crore people across the country.

'If a leader is visionary, public service and the country's service are his aim, and there is a resolution. If a roadmap is created to accomplish that resolution and if hard work is done, then miracles can happen. 80 crore people are given free grains and rice. I thank the Narendra Modi government for this,' the Union Minister said.

He drew the connection between the progress of farmers and the overall development of villages, stating that both are interconnected to each other. He added that development in villages will lead to an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

'The Prime Minister says that farmers are annadata, and their development is the country's development. With the development of farmers, villages will develop, and the development in villages will lead to a self-sufficient India,' he said, adding that under PM Modi, efforts to increase production are also being made.

Highlighting the government's efforts to provide technical tools for farming, he said, 'If farmers' production is to increase, agricultural tools are required. We provide tools to small farmers under the Krishi Yantrikaran Yojana.'

He further added, 'The Prime Minister made the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Under this scheme, Rs 3,68,000 crore were directly transferred to the bank accounts of farmers.'

He stated that under the current government, the money released for welfare schemes directly reaches the farmers without being hijacked.

'A Prime Minister was there, who used to say if I send Rs 1, then Rs 15 reach there, but now when Re 1 is sent, the same amount reaches the people. Kisan Samman Nidhi has worked to change the lives of small farmers. To decrease the cost of production, till 2013-14, Rs 31,280 crore was provided for the subsidy on fertilizers. That amount increased to Rs 2,45,799 crore in 2022-23,' he added.

The Lok Sabha today approved the budget estimates in the demands for grants for 2025-26 for different ministries after the Speaker applied the guillotine. (ANI)