2.5 million farmers added to PM-KISAN: Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

New Delhi: The government has implemented several farmer-friendly policies in its first 100 days of the third term with focus on improving agricultural productivity, reducing cost of production, ensuring good prices for farmers’ produce and compensation in case of damage and increasing usage of technology in farming practices, said union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday.

The minister also said that he will be meeting farmers and farmer organisations every Tuesday in order to have better communication channels with them directly. Hinting at his willingness to meet agitating farmers at Shinghu border, he said that his doors were open for all farmers and farmer organisations who are looking at resolving issues by means of dialogue.

Chouhan stressed upon working together with state governments for implementing policies, adding that he has been meeting with agriculture ministers and officials of states governments and has met 23 representatives of 23 states already. Amongst them are Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Sikkim, Assam etc.

He said that the government will start ‘Lab-to-land’ initiative to promote dialogue between scientists and farmers. The program will be known as Adhunik Krishi Chaupal and will be aired on Door Darshan and broadcast on radio starting October.

Talking about the achievements of the government in the first 100 days he said that the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been expanded to enhance agricultural infrastructure and support to farmers, and ₹14,200 crore has been allocated across seven schemes to improve farmers’ lives and livelihoods.

The minister highlighted key achievements in the farm sector, including the disbursement of ₹20,000 crore to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. “We have added 25 lakh new farmers to the list,” he added.The PM-KISAN offers an annual benefit of ₹6,000, distributed in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 every four months, directly into the bank accounts of eligible farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.