Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, which had redefined the relationship between farmers and the government. From its very first day, the scheme established, for the first time, a nationwide mechanism to transfer financial assistance directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
The Chief Minister said more than 86 per cent of India’s farmers were small and marginal farmers. At sowing time, they needed money for seeds, fertilisers and ploughing, often forcing them to borrow from moneylenders at high interest rates. A substantial share of their earnings would thus be committed to debt repayment even before the harvest.
He said the Prime Minister understood this hardship and resolved that farmers should not have to depend on others for essential cultivation expenses. Initially introduced for small and marginal farmers, the scheme was extended within a few months to all landholding farmer families across the country. The Prime Minister’s vision was to make farmers prosperous and strong and increase their income. PM-KISAN had helped strengthen farmers, he added.
The Agriculture Minister said natural farming was part of India’s tradition, with cattle playing a special role. He urged farmers to move towards natural farming, beginning by discontinuing the use of fertilisers in fodder cultivation and growing it through natural methods. This, he said, would help ensure pure and tasty milk.
