Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 11 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching two major agricultural schemes, 'PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' and the 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses,' calling them a historic milestone in the nation's agricultural journey and a significant step towards prosperity and dignity for farmers.
In a post on the social media platform X, CM Dhami expressed his admiration for the initiatives and wrote, "Today has brought a historic achievement in the agricultural history of India. The Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji has launched the "PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana" and "Dahlan Aatmanirbharta Mission," thereby initiating a new chapter of prosperity and dignity in the lives of the country's food providers. Through these schemes, new opportunities will open up in the areas of agricultural infrastructure, irrigation, storage, and crop diversity, which will bring prosperity to every farmer's field."
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the two flagship schemes aimed at strengthening agricultural self-reliance and boosting domestic pulses production. The schemes were launched with a combined outlay of Rs 35,440 crore.
Addressing the special Krishi programme, PM Modi said that the schemes will transform the fortunes of millions of farmers in India, adding that the schemes focus on the country's self-reliance and the welfare of farmers.
"Today, on this historic day, two important new schemes are being launched for the country's self-reliance and the welfare of farmers. First, the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana and the Dalhan Atmanirbharta Mission. These two schemes will transform the fortunes of millions of farmers in India. The government is going to spend more than Rs 35,000 crore on these schemes," the Prime Minister said.
The announcement coincided with the birth anniversaries of Bharat Ratna awardees Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh. PM Modi paid tribute to both leaders and acknowledged their significant contributions to rural development and the promotion of democratic values.
"Today, the 11th October, is a very historic day. Today is the birth anniversary of two great gems of Mother India who created history. Bharat Ratna Jayaprakash Narayan and Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh, both these great sons were the voice of rural India, the pioneers of democratic revolution," PM said.
PM Modi also criticised the previous Congress-led governments for their "lack of vision" in the agriculture sector, saying their neglect led to the weakening of the country's agricultural system.
"Agriculture and farming have always been a key part of our development journey. It is crucial that agriculture continues to receive government support as times change. Unfortunately, previous governments abandoned agriculture. The government lacked any vision or thought for agriculture. Different government departments related to agriculture operated in their own ways, leading to a continuous weakening of India's agricultural system," the Prime Minister added.
PM emphasised that the BJP government implemented "countless" reforms, diverting from previous governments' "careless attitude" and said that the results of this policy change are evident today.