More than Rs 529 crore has been directly transferred to farmers in Tripura through government paddy procurement, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday, highlighting that increasing farmers’ income remains one of the state government’s major priorities.
Addressing a programme at the Tripura State Agriculture Research Centre in Arundhatinagar following the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Saha said improving the financial condition of farmers is essential for the overall development of villages and the state.
“If farmers’ income rises, villages will progress. When villages progress, the state will develop,” the Chief Minister said.
He said farmers have often faced financial difficulties and have been compelled to take loans for agricultural activities. Various central and state government initiatives are aimed at reducing this burden and improving their economic condition, he added.
Highlighting the success of paddy procurement, Saha said direct procurement from farmers has resulted in more than Rs 529 crore being deposited into their bank accounts.
He said schemes such as PM-KISAN, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and other agriculture-focused programmes have helped increase agricultural production and improve farmers’ earnings.
The Chief Minister said that since 2018, the state government has introduced several measures aimed at the socio-economic development of farmers and increasing their income.
He also highlighted initiatives to improve soil quality, stating that more than 2.53 lakh soil health cards have been issued to farmers so far. In addition, agricultural inputs worth Rs 233.63 crore have been provided under various subsidy programmes.
Speaking about PM-KISAN, Saha said that during 2018–19, more than 1.51 lakh farmers received Rs 30.37 crore under the scheme. In the current financial year, over 2.16 lakh farmers are expected to receive more than Rs 43.32 crore through the programme.
Tripura Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath was also present at the event, which was organised to mark the direct transfer of the latest PM-KISAN instalment to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
