Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: More than Rs 529 crore has been transferred directly to farmers through paddy procurement in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday, asserting that increasing farmers’ income remains a key objective of the state government.
Addressing a programme at the Tripura State Agriculture Research Centre in Arundhatinagar after the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Manik Saha said strengthening the economic condition of farmers is essential for the development of villages and the state.
“If farmers’ income increases, villages will develop. If villages develop, the state develops,” he said.
The Chief Minister said farmers had often been forced to incur debt to cultivate their land, and various central and state government schemes were aimed at improving their financial condition.
Highlighting the state’s procurement efforts, Manik Saha said the direct purchase of paddy from farmers had resulted in more than Rs 529 crore being credited to their bank accounts.
He said the implementation of schemes such as PM-KISAN, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and other agriculture-related programmes had contributed to higher agricultural production and improved farm incomes.
According to the Chief Minister, the state government has been implementing a range of initiatives since 2018 for the socio-economic development of farmers and to enhance their earnings.
Manik Saha said the government had also focused on improving soil fertility, with more than 2.53 lakh soil health cards issued so far.
He added that agricultural inputs worth Rs 233.63 crore had been provided to farmers under subsidy programmes.
Referring to PM-KISAN, Manik Saha said more than 1.51 lakh farmers received Rs 30.37 crore under the scheme in 2018–19. In the current financial year, over 2.16 lakh farmers are expected to receive more than Rs 43.32 crore under the programme, he added.
Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath was also present at the event.
The programme was organised in connection with the direct transfer of the latest PM-KISAN instalment into beneficiaries’ accounts.