Rajasthan CM: Empowering Farmers Priority of Double Engine Govt

Jaipur, Jun 30 (PTI) Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said that empowering the farmers who produce food for the country is the priority of the double-engine government.

Many steps have been taken by the state government towards farmer welfare.

He said that the dream of a developed and prosperous Rajasthan will come true only with the prosperity of the farmer.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma was addressing the state-level launch ceremony of 'Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana' at Krishi Upaj Mandi in Tonk on Sunday.

Under this scheme, along with the amount of Rs 6,000 of Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, Rs 2,000 will be given to the farmers by the state government.

BJP government in its manifesto had promised to give additional Rs 2,000 under the scheme.

Today, Rs 653 crore has been directly deposited in the accounts of more than 65 lakh farmers by the state government as the first installment of Rs 1,000, an official statement said.

He said that wheat has been purchased at Rs 2,400 per quintal by providing a bonus of Rs 125 over the support price of Rs 2275 per quintal in the state. Around 10,000 solar power plants, drip and mini sprinklers in 41,000 hectares of area and sprinkler plants in 44,000 hectares of area have been established in the state.

Sharma said that agricultural electricity connections have been issued to 47,000 farmers of the state. Farmers have been given subsidy of more than Rs 8,000 crore in electricity bills. MoUs worth Rs 2.24 lakh crore have been signed to provide adequate electricity to the farmers and make the state a power surplus state.

More than 80,000 farmers of the state have received short term crop loans of Rs 350 crore.

He said that under the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme in the state, insurance claims of about Rs 1, 400 crore were distributed and 9,000 PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras were established.

The Chief Minister said that the state government is determined to strengthen agriculture by providing irrigation facilities to the farmers in the state. He said that to solve the water problem in 21 districts of the state, ERCP has been included in the revised Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project and an MoU has been signed with the Government of India and Madhya Pradesh.

Under the Chief Minister's Jal Swavlamban Yojna-2.0, 5 lakh water storage structures will be built in the next 4 years and rainwater will be collected by setting up 20,000 farm ponds.