Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurates the 118th All India Farmers’ Fair and Agriculture Industry Exhibition at Pantnagar University

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 118th All India Farmers’ Fair and Agricultural Industry Exhibition at Pantnagar University. On this occasion, he also launched the university’s new pulse crop varieties and released the book “Pantnagar Pravah.”

This year’s farmers’ fair featured over 400 stalls, including more than 200 startups and agro-industries from across the country. The event served as a platform for innovation, knowledge exchange, and interaction between farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.

Chief Minister Dhami urged farmers to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, and profitable by adopting modern technologies and scientific methods.

He announced several key initiatives for farmers in Uttarakhand:

• Interest-free loans up to ₹3 lakh for farmers.
• Up to 80% subsidy on agricultural equipment under the Farm Machinery Bank Scheme.
• Free irrigation through canals.
• ₹200 crore provision for the construction of polyhouses — with 350 polyhouses already set up through ₹115 crore in assistance.
• ₹20 per quintal bonus on wheat and ₹20 per quintal increase in sugarcane price.
• Approval of the ‘Uttarakhand Climate Responsive Rainfed Farming Project’ worth ₹1,000 crore to boost rain-fed farming in hilly regions.
• Introduction of new Apple, Kiwi, Millet, and Dragon Fruit Policies with 80% subsidy to promote horticulture.

Dhami highlighted that agriculture has been made a major engine of state development — the Kisan Credit Card limit has been raised from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and special focus has been placed on promoting natural farming, irrigation, and agricultural technology.

He commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership, saying India is rapidly progressing towards becoming a developed nation. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, over 11 crore farmers nationwide, including 9 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand, receive ₹6,000 annually as financial assistance.

The Chief Minister also praised schemes like the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, which provides farmers with a safety net against natural disasters, crop diseases, and pests, and the Soil Health Card Scheme, which helps farmers understand their soil’s nutrient needs, improving both crop yield and soil fertility.

He mentioned other central and state initiatives such as the Kisan Maandhan Yojana, Millet Mission, Horticulture Development Mission, Drip Irrigation Scheme, Digital Agriculture Mission, and PM Dhan Dhan Yojana worth ₹24,000 crore, along with an 11,500-crore Pulses Productivity Mission launched by the Prime Minister.

Dhami emphasized that his government is committed to farmers’ welfare and prosperity — working to ensure better income, access to modern tools, and scientific support for all farmers in the state.

He also urged agricultural scientists to research traditional Indian farming systems — understanding how ancient farmers maintained soil fertility and quality for generations — and to quickly transfer their findings and new technologies to farmers to strengthen the agricultural economy.

At the event, discussions were also held on the Anti-Cheating Law and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented in the state. Students Pooja Joshi, Niti Sharma, and Nidhi Awasthi shared their views on the UCC, the progress of the farmer fair, and the anti-cheating law, respectively. Farmer Seema Rani shared her success story as part of the Samriddhi Farmer Producer Organization.

Dhami said the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand marked a historic step toward ensuring equal rights and uniform laws for all citizens. He clarified that the UCC is not against any religion, but aims to eliminate discrimination and injustice arising from separate personal laws, thereby promoting social equality and harmony.

He noted that while several countries — including leading Muslim nations — have already implemented UCC, India’s progress was delayed due to political vote-bank considerations. However, he said, “When intentions are clear and public sentiment is strong, no reform is impossible.”

Dhami reiterated his government’s commitment to preserving the cultural values and demography of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.

Pantnagar University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan thanked the Chief Minister for implementing the UCC and the Anti-Cheating Law. He said that under the CM’s leadership, the university is advancing rapidly in research and innovation, and the state is focusing on integrated farming.

He added that Uttarakhand’s per capita income has risen to ₹2.61 lakh, marking a 26% growth rate, and that the fair has seen participation from around 20,000 farmers across 507 stalls.

The event was attended by MLAs Shiv Arora, Trilok Singh Cheema, Suresh Gadia, former MLA Rajesh Shukla, District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauria, Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra, and other district-level officials.

(Issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations)