Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 20 (ANI): Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated that, to help farmers recover from the losses caused by the recent unseasonal and severe rainfall, the double-engine government promptly announced a generous relief package of Rs 10,000 crore, a release said.

At the state-level event held in Gandhinagar, CM Bhupendra Patel addressed the gathering as Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme for farmers across the country from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Farmers across the state watched the Prime Minister's address live.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister released Rs 18,000 crore as the 21st instalment for more than 9 crore farmers across the country. Of this, over 49.31 lakh farmers in Gujarat will receive Rs 986 crore through DBT.

During the state-level event held in Gandhinagar, CM Bhupendra Patel, Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani, and Minister of State for Agriculture Ramesh Katara distributed approval letters for various agricultural assistance schemes worth over Rs 11.68 lakh, along with the benefits of the Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Bhupendra Patel said that PM Narendra Modi has launched several welfare schemes aimed at ensuring the economic prosperity of farmers. He further noted that the Prime Minister has taken significant steps to enhance green cover to counter the challenges of climate change through initiatives like 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' and the promotion of natural farming.

Chief Minister stated that chemical-based farming is damaging the health of both the soil and the people, and that the Prime Minister's vision of promoting natural farming provides a viable solution. He expressed confidence that natural farming will help secure a healthier future for the coming generations while improving soil fertility. Describing natural farming as the agriculture of the future, he emphasised that its adoption is a pressing need of the hour.

Chief Minister said that at every stage--from seed to market--the Prime Minister has supported farmers through farmer-centric decisions. He added that the commitment made in this year's budget to launch the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana has been fulfilled by implementing it for six years, reaffirming the Prime Minister's principle of 'delivering on promises' while caring for the nation's food providers.

CM Bhupendra Patel said that, thanks to the Prime Minister's farmer-friendly policies and his sensitivity towards the farming community, more than 98% of farmers in Gujarat now receive daytime electricity. With a sufficient water and power supply, the agricultural landscape of the state has undergone a complete transformation, resulting in greater prosperity for farmers.

Chief Minister further stated that the Krishi Mahotsav, launched in Gujarat in 2005 during the Prime Minister's tenure as Chief Minister, has enabled the state government to directly reach out to farmers in their fields. Through this initiative, farmers receive guidance on which crops can yield better returns and how value addition can help enhance their income. He added that Gujarat has effectively implemented this 'lab to land' approach.

On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been deeply concerned about the welfare of farmers. Prime Minister, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, initiated numerous farmer-centric measures, which are being effectively carried forward today by the sincere and steadfast CM Bhupendra Patel.

Vaghani said that today, from Tamil Nadu, PM Modi virtually released the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri -Kisan Samman Nidhi. Approximately 3 lakh farmers from Gujarat joined for the live telecast of the program through Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Gram Panchayats, APMCs, and other centres.

The Agriculture Minister stated that the state government has introduced various initiatives for farmers, including mechanisation, crop protection, the use of nanotechnology and IT in agriculture, natural farming, and zero-budget farming. These measures are designed to increase agricultural productivity, reduce input costs, and enable farmers to achieve better returns.

He further said that our agricultural land is gradually becoming barren, and to ensure that current and future generations do not suffer from related health issues, it is essential to adopt natural farming. He added that, under the guidance of Governor Acharya Devvrat and CM Bhupendra Patel, the state is working in mission mode to advance this initiative.

He stated that the Prime Minister launched the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme across the country in 2019, not as a favour to farmers, but with the spirit of serving and honouring them. Owing to the effective implementation and complete transparency of this scheme, financial assistance is being directly deposited into the bank accounts of farmers.

He further added that the Prime Minister has also taken the important decision to procure crops at MSP when agricultural produce receives lower prices in the market. In Gujarat, farmers have delivered over one lakh metric tonnes of groundnut at 293 procurement centres. So far, procurement worth more than Rs 1,100 crore has been completed in the state. (ANI)