Now, ‘Ladka Farmer Campaign’ in the State – Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Beed : Following the success of the ‘Ladki Bahin’ and ‘Ladka Bhau’ campaigns, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the launch of the ‘Ladka Farmer Campaign’ in the state, focusing on the benefits for farmers, who are our providers. Additionally, he declared the removal of the e-crop inspection requirement for the Rs. 5,000 per hectare assistance for soybean and cotton crops during the state-level Agriculture Festival inauguration at Parli Vaijnath.

In a grand ceremony at the Late Panditanna Munde Hall, Agriculture Produce Market Committee in Parli, the five-day Agriculture Festival 2024 was inaugurated by the Chief Minister. He emphasized that through this campaign, the government will ensure the implementation of all beneficial schemes for farmers.

During the event, the fourth installment of the ‘Namo Kisan Maha Sanman Yojana’ was credited to the accounts of farmers across the state via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer). A web portal for disbursing the Rs. 5,000 grant to soybean and cotton farmers was also launched. Various informational resources, including a coffee table book detailing different schemes from the Agriculture Department and an integrated pest management manual created by the Vasantrao Naik Agricultural University, were released.

The five-day Agriculture Festival will feature agricultural and livestock exhibitions, panel discussions, and a variety of events including a grain festival and a wild vegetable festival. Separate stalls for women’s self-help groups and agricultural tools have been arranged. It is expected that at least 500,000 farmers will visit the festival.

The state government has consistently prioritized farmers’ welfare, standing firmly by them during natural disasters, and has decided to provide double the compensation by setting aside NDMA criteria. Last year, due to low prices for soybean and cotton, the government decided to provide Rs. 5,000 per hectare for up to two hectares. However, since many farmers were unable to produce the required e-crop inspection report, the requirement has been relaxed, and the subsidy will now be distributed based on the entries in the 7/12 land record.

The ‘Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ has received an overwhelming response from women, and the government has also introduced the ‘Chief Minister Youth Skill Development Scheme’ to provide scholarships to young men. Now, following the same model, the ‘Ladka Farmer Campaign’ has been launched to effectively implement various beneficial schemes. The Chief Minister stated that this campaign began with the fourth installment of Rs. 2,000 under the ‘Namo Kisan Maha Sanman Yojana’ being credited to farmers’ bank accounts today.

Maharashtra is the only state providing the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for a premium of just Rs. 1 and offering free electricity to agricultural pumps up to 7.5 HP. The government’s policy is centered on ‘Kastkari, Warakari, and Prosperous Farmers,’ and efforts are underway by both the central and state governments to secure fair prices for onions, soybeans, cotton, and milk. The Chief Minister also assured that the ‘Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ will continue permanently, boosting the economy through women’s empowerment. He expressed confidence that the Agriculture Festival will be instrumental in spreading awareness about new developments in agriculture, promoting modern farming, and advancing the state’s agricultural sector.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan praised the state government for launching the ‘Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana,’ which empowers women economically and ensures their dignity. He also highlighted that Maharashtra is the only state implementing the ‘Namo Kisan Maha Sanman Yojana’ based on the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, offering Rs. 6,000 annually to farmers. He assured that the central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to doubling farmers’ incomes and that both the central and state governments will take positive decisions to secure fair prices for soybeans, cotton, and onions.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned that the state government is working diligently to address the drought in Marathwada. The government has finalized plans to divert 50 TMC of water from the Godavari Basin to Marathwada, and water will soon reach Ashti in Beed district. A Rs. 11,000 crore Krishna-Bhima stabilization project has been launched to bring Marathwada’s rightful water to the region. Additionally, Rs. 13,000 crore has been allocated for 11 irrigation projects, and Rs. 536 crore has been set aside for the second phase of the Jayakwadi Project, which will bring 85,000 hectares of land under irrigation in Marathwada.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the state government is effectively implementing various schemes aimed at the common people, including depositing funds into the accounts of nearly 12.5 million women under the ‘Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana.’ Moreover, a decision has been made to provide free vocational training to girls from poor families. Under the Chief Minister Annapurna Yojana, women will receive three free gas cylinders annually, benefiting 5.2 million households. Around 4.4 million farmers will benefit from the Chief Minister Baliraja Electricity Subsidy Scheme, with free electricity being provided to agricultural pumps up to 7.5 HP. He also emphasized that the five-day state-level Agriculture Festival will be valuable for farmers in drought-prone areas like Marathwada to learn about new farming technologies that can help increase their income.

Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde expressed confidence that the festival will spread awareness about modern technologies such as drone spraying, nano urea, and nano DAP, which could reduce production costs by up to 30% and increase income by 20% in the future.

Legislative Council member Pankaja Munde also shared her thoughts at the event. The Agriculture Commissioner, Ravindra Binwade, gave an overview of the state-level Agriculture Festival during the introductory speech, stating that over 400 stalls have been set up to provide farmers with information about new technologies and innovations.

The program began with a collective garlanding of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other dignitaries by women and farmers, followed by a ceremonial ox-cart gift presentation. The event was attended by MLAs Vikram Kale, Prakash Solanke, Namita Mundada, Balasaheb Ajabe, former MLAs T.R. Jija Patil, and Suresh Dhas, Divisional Commissioner Dilip Gawde, District Collector Avinash Pathak, and District Council CEO Sangeetadevi Patil. The event was hosted by Kshipra Mankar, and thanks were extended by ATMA Project Director Subhash Salve.