Shivraj hails 'Atmanirbhar Budget', highlights farmer benefit schemes

'On one side, there is provision for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and on other there are provisions to provide farmers with low cost fertiliser, urea, DAP', Agriculture minister added

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday hailed the Budget 2025 as an inclusive step for benefiting every section of society, and highlighted how farmers will benefit from the increased credit from Kisan credit card.

"I thank PM Modi and (Union) Finance Minister from the bottom of my heart, this is such a budget where every category has been taken care of. This is such a budget in which there are schemes for long term development, this is a budget to make India self-reliant," Chouhan told reporters here in Madhya Pradesh.

Highlighting the schemes such as Kisan Samman Nidhi and Kisan credit card, he said, "On one side, there is provision for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and on other there are provisions to provide farmers with low cost fertiliser, urea, DAP. There is provision for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi...farmers will get Rs 5 lakh in farmers' credit card."

Chouhan, in a press conference on Saturday, said that Rs 1,88,754 crore has been allocated for rural development, highlighting that significant focus has been placed on eradicating poverty in villages through various schemes and provisions introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Highlighting another scheme, he mentioned that government is also going to launch the 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana,' to help increase crop productivity in over 100 districts which have the lowest productivity in the nation. According to the minister, this initiative will benefit over 1.7 crore farmers.

"This budget is the budget of 140 crore Indians. It is the budget for building a prosperous, self-reliant and developed India. The welfare of every section of the society has been taken care of in the budget," Chouhan said during a press conference.

Additionally, Rs 54,832 crore has been allocated for providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), the union government's flagship scheme.

Talking about the 'Lakhpati didi' scheme, Minister Chouhan mentioned that out of 3 crore 'Lakhpati didis,' more than 1 crore 15 lakh have already become 'lakhpatis.' Claiming to empower the rest, the union budget has a provision of Rs 19,005 crore for women enrolled in the scheme.