Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted how his government has ramped up spending on the country’s agricultural sector and farmers’ welfare, and called upon cooperatives to help in making the country self-reliant in cooking oils.
Addressing an event on the occasion of International Day of Cooperatives, the prime minister said: “We have moved from less than Rs 90,000 crore spent in 5 years for the agriculture sector before 2014 to having a single scheme, PM KISAN Samman Nidhi that is spending 3 times the amount.”
He further said that crores of farmers are now receiving direct benefits via the PM-KISAN scheme without any interference from middlemen. “In the last 4 years, a direct transfer of Rs 2.5 lakh crore has been made into the bank accounts of farmers under this scheme,” he said, adding that the central government is spending Rs 6.5 lakh crore on farmers’ welfare and agriculture every year.
He further said that there is a need to reduce imports of edible oils and pulses and that cooperatives have a major role to play in making India self-reliant.
“Milk powder to butter to ghee, our Indian produce is in demand in the world. A new market is being formed for our millets. Our Shree Anna can be a great opportunity to earn for our small farmers. Now, crores of small farmers are receiving benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme without any interference from middlemen. In the last 4 years, a direct transfer of Rs 2.5 lakh crore has been made into the bank accounts of farmers under this scheme. We have moved from less than Rs 90,000 crore spent in 5 years for the agriculture sector before 2014 to having a single scheme, PM KISAN Samman Nidhi that is spending 3 times the amount,” PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi went on to claim that the cooperative sector in the country has access to similar facilities and platforms as the corporate sector. “Today over 25,000 cooperative sectors are working in the fisheries sector. This is improving the lives of our fishermen and improving their earning capacity. Inland fisheries have also seen a growth of 2 times in the last 9 years,” he added.
While highlighting the role of the ‘Digital India’ initiative in empowering the country’s farming community, PM Modi extorted the Cooperative sector to go digital as well. “The government has promoted Digital India, enabling direct benefits to reach beneficiaries directly. The aim is also to eliminate the dependency on cash transactions. India’s dominance in Digital Transactions has become our identity in the world. This needs to be incorporated in our Cooperative sector as well,” he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also attended the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress. “The cooperative movement is about 115 years old in our country. Since independence, the main demand of the workers of the cooperative sector was that the Ministry of Cooperation should be made separate. After PM Modi was re-elected as the Prime Minister in 2019, he constituted a separate Ministry of Cooperation,” he said while addressing the gathering. (Indian Express)
