"Will transform fortunes of farmers": PM Modi launches Rs 35,440-crore farm schemes, criticises previous govt for "lack of vision"

New Delhi [India], October 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched two major agricultural schemes, PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses with an outlay of Rs 35,440 crore.
Addressing the special Krishi programme, PM Modi said that the schemes will transform the fortunes of millions of farmers in India, adding that the schemes focus on the country's self-reliance and the welfare of farmers.
"Today, on this historic day, two important new schemes are being launched for the country's self-reliance and the welfare of farmers. First, the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana and the Dalhan Atmanirbharta Mission. These two schemes will transform the fortunes of millions of farmers in India. The government is going to spend more than Rs 35,000 crore on these schemes," PM Modi said.
PM Modi made the announcement on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Jayaprakash Narayan and Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh.
"Today, the 11th October, is a very historic day. Today is the birth anniversary of two great gems of Mother India who created history. Bharat Ratna Jayaprakash Narayan and Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh, both these great sons were the voice of rural India, the pioneers of democratic revolution," PM said.
PM Modi also criticised previous Congress government for their "lack of vision" for agriculture, which as he argued "weakened" India's agricultural system.
"Agriculture and farming have always been a key part of our development journey. It is crucial that agriculture continues to receive government support as times change. Unfortunately, previous governments abandoned agriculture. The government lacked any vision or thought for agriculture. Different government departments related to agriculture operated in their own ways, leading to a continuous weakening of India's agricultural system," he said.
PM emphasised that the BJP government implemented "countless" reforms, diverting from previous governments' "careless attitude" and said that the results of this policy change are evident today.
"For 21st-century India to achieve rapid development, reforms in our agricultural system were essential, and this began in 2014. We changed the previous governments' careless attitude towards agriculture. We implemented countless reforms and improvements for the benefit of all of you farmers, from seeds to the market. The results are evident today," he said.
PM Modi then highlighted the achievements of the BJP government in the agricultural sector, noting an increase in exports and production of many products, including grain, fruits, vegetables, and honey.
"In the last 11 years, India's agricultural exports have nearly doubled. Grain production has increased by approximately 90 million metric tons from what it was previously. Fruit and vegetable production has increased by more than 64 million metric tons," he said.
"Today, we are number one in the world in milk production. India is the world's second-largest fish producer. Honey production in India has also doubled compared to 2014. Egg production has also doubled in the last 11 years. During this period, six major fertiliser factories were built in the country. Farmers received more than 250 million soil health cards. Micro-irrigation facilities reached 100 lakh hectares. Nearly Rs 2 lakh crore was received from the PM Crop Insurance Scheme. This figure is not small. Farmers received Rs 2 lakh crore in claims," he added.
PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, which has an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore, aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit in the selected 100 districts, according to a release from PMO.
The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with an outlay of Rs. 11,440 crore, aims to improve the productivity levels of pulses, expand the area under pulse cultivation, strengthen the value chain - including procurement, storage, and processing - and ensure a reduction in losses. (ANI)