DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

As part of the nationwide Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini launched the state-level campaign from Kurukshetra on Thursday.

The objective of the campaign is to improve the agricultural sector by connecting farmers with new technologies, schemes, and innovations.

It aims to educate farmers on scientific techniques for Kharif crops, highlight the importance of soil health cards, and provide access to government schemes and policies.

Through direct interaction with farmers, feedback will be gathered to guide future agricultural research. This campaign, running across the state until June 12, is a testament to the government's commitment to empowering farmers, said an official statement.

Addressing farmers at a joint event organized by Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry along with Indian Council of Agricultural Research at Kurukshetra University campus, Saini said that India has achieved self-reliance in food grain production due to the hard work and dedication of its farmers.

He emphasized that this campaign will turn every farmer into a policy participant and an innovation partner. This is not just a programme, but a public movement that will be a major step toward empowering farmers with knowledge, innovation, and technology. "It is a 'Triveni', where agricultural scientists, officers from agriculture and allied departments, and farmers will engage in direct dialogue," he said.

Saini said Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers farmers the backbone of his vision for a 'Viksit Bharat'. A developed, strong, and prosperous India is only possible when our farmers are self-reliant, Saini said. During his address, Saini hit out at Congress, saying they were in power for 55 years, but did not care about farmers.

In contrast, he said, during the past 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only consistently empowered and strengthened farmers but also considers them an important pillar for a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) and worked to make them self-reliant.

He said that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, the central government recently announced an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, and he expressed gratitude for this decision.

Further targeting Congress, Saini said that "during the general elections last year, Congress leaders tried to mislead farmers by saying that if Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the MSP would be discontinued. However, the reality is that since 2014, the Prime Minister has continually increased MSP in favour of farmers. The opposition should introspect before questioning the government on farmer welfare and refrain from making statements that harm farmers". Saini said that during Congress rule, Rs 7.41 lakh crore was given for MSP of crops, while the Modi government, in the past 10 years, provided Rs 23.61 lakh crore. Until 2014, Congress gave Rs 2.56 lakh crore MSP for wheat, while the Modi government has given Rs.5.65 lakh crore for wheat since then.

The Chief Minister said that the Haryana Government is also working continuously for the welfare of farmers. Haryana is the first state in the country which decided to purchase all crops at MSP, he said.

To shield farmers from market risks, the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana was launched, under which around Rs 111 crore has been disbursed to farmers, Saini said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)