Committed to bring significant change in the lives of farmers: PM Modi

New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the government is committed to bringing a significant change in the lives of farmers, and the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana is another crucial step towards that goal.

In a post on X social media platform, PM Modi said: “This will not only increase crop production in the districts that have been lagging in the agricultural sector but also boost the income of our food providers."

“We are committed to bringing a significant change in the lives of our farmer brothers and sisters. In this direction, the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhanya Agriculture Scheme has been approved today,” the Prime Minister added.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, has approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” for a period of six years, beginning with 2025-26 to cover 100 districts.

The scheme draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme, a first of its kind focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.

The scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit, according to the official statement.

The scheme was announced as part of the Budget proposals for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts under “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana”.

The scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, other state schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.

As many as 100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement.

The number of districts in each state/UT will be based on the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings. However, a minimum of 1 district will be selected from each state, according to an official statement.

As India achieves 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved enhanced delegation of power to NTPC Ltd for investing in NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. and its other joint ventures/subsidiaries to set up renewable energy capacity with an outlay of up to Rs 20,000 crore.

This move is “a boost to India's efforts to strengthen renewable energy capacity", PM Modi posted on X.

Renewable Energy projects will also generate direct and indirect employment opportunities to the local people at construction stage as well as during operations and maintenance (O&M) stage.

This will provide boost to local suppliers, local enterprises/ MSMEs and shall encourage the entrepreneurship opportunities within the country besides promoting employment and socio-economic development of the country.

--IANS

na/pgh