Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said on Tuesday that developed villages and happy farmers should be a priority for all concerned to achieve the vision of a developed India.
Chouhan reviewed the work done by Panchayat and Rural Development and Agriculture departments of Chhattisgarh with Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
The meeting, held at the state secretariat in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, took stock of the implementation of state and Central government schemes in the state and discussed future development strategies, an official release issued here said.
Chouhan praised the state government’s commitment and administrative approach, saying it has done exemplary work in agriculture and rural development.
The Union minister also assured the state government that he would consider revising the labour budget under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) as per its request.
Chouhan reviewed the progress of the Pradhan Mantri AwasYojana (Gramin) and emphasized the need for swift completion of approved houses and physical verification of new surveys, it added.
The Union minister appreciated the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and expressed satisfaction with the progress of construction work under the Niyad Nelanar scheme in the Naxal-affected areas, saying it is taking development to remote and challenging areas of the state.
He emphasized that to increase farmers’ income, efforts required not only in traditional farming but also in allied areas like animal husbandry, horticulture, and fisheries.
The minister said scientific farming practices should be adopted and the farmers must be encouraged to use high-quality seeds, organic farming, and crop rotation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sai said that the Chhattisgarh government considers rural development and agriculture as the backbone of the state.
He called it a shared responsibility to take development to remote and deprived areas of the state.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Subodh Singh among others.