Latest news with #MinisterDhan-DhaanyaKrishiYojana
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
All in one: on the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana scheme
The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), a scheme approved by the Union Cabinet, is to be implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments. According to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the scheme seeks to address the 'disparities in productivity' between States, and even among districts within a State. The Centre's pet schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) as well as relevant State schemes, to be identified by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samitis, will be subsumed in the PMDDKY. Local partnerships with the private sector will also be promoted under the proposed scheme, which will begin in October during the rabi crop season. The scheme is to get an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years. Modelled on NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme, the Centre will identify 100 districts based on low productivity and cropping intensity and less credit disbursement. The hope is that the scheme will result in higher productivity, value addition in agriculture and allied sectors, local livelihood creation, leading to increased domestic production and self-reliance. This convergence of schemes must be viewed in the background of decreasing public spending on agriculture. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, in the latest report on Demands for Grants, had observed a continuous decline, from 3.53% in 2021-22 to 3.14% (2022-23), 2.57% (2023-24), 2.54% (2024-25) and 2.51% (2025-26), of the allocations for agriculture as a percentage of total Central Plan outlay. This aggregation of all schemes under one umbrella suggests that the Government wants uniformity in running the welfare, financial and technical schemes in the agriculture sector. It is keen to add States' measures too in the new scheme. It remains to be seen how effective such uniformity will be on the ground as further decrease in public investment in agriculture could be disastrous. Private-public partnerships should be for the larger good of self-reliance, particularly in the production of foodgrains, edible oil and pulses. The progress of area coverage under kharif crops, released last week, points to a decrease in the sowing of oil seeds and popular pulses. Though it promotes national uniformity, it is welcome that the new scheme will function based on 'District Plans' that will be aligned to the national goals of crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors. For the PMDDKY, the Centre will monitor 117 key indicators of progress on a monthly basis. But to make it more participatory, States, local self governments, primary agriculture cooperative societies, agriculture universities and organisations of farmers and traders must be involved in this process.
Hans India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Committed to bring significant change in the lives of farmers: PM Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the government is committed to bringing a significant change in the lives of farmers, and the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana is another crucial step towards that goal. In a post on X social media platform, PM Modi said: 'This will not only increase crop production in the districts that have been lagging in the agricultural sector but also boost the income of our food providers." 'We are committed to bringing a significant change in the lives of our farmer brothers and sisters. In this direction, the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhanya Agriculture Scheme has been approved today,' the Prime Minister added. The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, has approved the 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' for a period of six years, beginning with 2025-26 to cover 100 districts. The scheme draws inspiration from NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme, a first of its kind focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors. The scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit, according to the official statement. The scheme was announced as part of the Budget proposals for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts under 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana'. The scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, other state schemes and local partnerships with the private sector. As many as 100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. The number of districts in each state/UT will be based on the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings. However, a minimum of 1 district will be selected from each state, according to an official statement. As India achieves 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved enhanced delegation of power to NTPC Ltd for investing in NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. and its other joint ventures/subsidiaries to set up renewable energy capacity with an outlay of up to Rs 20,000 crore. This move is 'a boost to India's efforts to strengthen renewable energy capacity", PM Modi posted on X. Renewable Energy projects will also generate direct and indirect employment opportunities to the local people at construction stage as well as during operations and maintenance (O&M) stage. This will provide boost to local suppliers, local enterprises/ MSMEs and shall encourage the entrepreneurship opportunities within the country besides promoting employment and socio-economic development of the country.
