Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 1 (ANI): A state-level 'PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas' programme was organised in Gujarat's Gandhinagar in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, where over 3 lakh farmers across Gujarat watched the live broadcast of the Prime Minister's address from various locations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 20th instalment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. Under this instalment, more than 52.16 lakh farmer families in Gujarat received assistance of over Rs 1,118 crore directly in their bank accounts through DBT.

On the occasion, Chief Minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the world how swiftly and effectively welfare initiatives for farmers and the public can be implemented with the spirit of public service and the right intent. He added that the Prime Minister has identified GYAN -- that is, Garib (poor), Annadata (farmers), Yuva (youth), and Nari Shakti (women empowerment) -- as the four pillars of Viksit Bharat, and has launched numerous welfare schemes to empower them.

PM Modi, with the noble aim of supporting the country's farmers, launched the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana, which today has become the world's largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.

The Chief Minister stated that the equitable and transparent execution of the scheme has ensured that its benefits are reaching 100 per cent of small and marginal farmers across the nation. As a result, farmers' confidence in the government has significantly strengthened. Under the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana, a cumulative amount of Rs 3.69 lakh crore has been transferred directly into the bank accounts of crores of farmer families across the country over 19 instalments. With the release of the 20th instalment by the Prime Minister, more than Rs 20,500 crore has been disbursed to over 9.70 crore farmers nationwide, he added.

Chief Minister further stated that under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, the past decade has witnessed the establishment of a robust and accessible ecosystem for farmers, from seed to market. Additionally, the budget allocation for the agriculture sector has increased fivefold. Over the past 11 years, 25 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed, and significant momentum has been achieved in promoting modern agriculture and farm mechanisation.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister on behalf of the farmers, the Chief Minister stated that the newly approved 'PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana' aims to enhance productivity in 100 districts across the country that currently have low agricultural output. In addition, the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana' has also received approval from the Prime Minister, further strengthening the government's commitment to holistic agricultural development.

The Chief Minister urged farmers to strengthen agriculture for Viksit Gujarat, noting that the Prime Minister has prioritised natural farming and millets to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. To support this, Gujarat has launched several schemes and established the Gujarat Natural Farming Science University in Halol.

During the programme, Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel addressed farmers virtually from Rajkot, delivering an inspiring message. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also distributed assistance to beneficiaries of various agriculture-centric schemes. It is noteworthy that under the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana, Gujarat's beneficiary farmers have so far received a total assistance of over Rs 19,993 crore across 19 instalments directly into their bank accounts.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Agriculture Department, Dr Anju Sharma, welcomed all dignitaries and provided an overview of the programme. She informed that the nationwide event, held under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was live-streamed across more than 7,000 locations in Gujarat, where over 3 lakh farmers participated and watched the Prime Minister's address.

She highlighted that with the noble objective of enhancing farmers' income and providing them with direct support, the Prime Minister launched the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana in 2019, which is 100% centrally funded. Under this scheme, eligible farmer families receive Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Under the guidance of the Chief Minister, the Gujarat Government has implemented several schemes that provide support at every stage -- from sowing to selling -- and made substantial budgetary allocations to ensure maximum benefit reaches the farmers. She added that more than 11 lakh farmers in the state have already registered their applications through the i-Khedut portal to avail the benefits of these schemes.

The programme witnessed the presence of several dignitaries, including Gandhinagar District Panchayat President Shilpa Patel, Gandhinagar North MLA Ritaben Patel, Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department, Sandeep Kumar, Managing Director of Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation, Vijay Kharadi, Gandhinagar District Collector, District Development Officer, Director of Agriculture of Gujarat, officials from the Agriculture Department, and a large gathering of farmers. (ANI)