New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan interacted with beneficiary farmers on the 77th Republic Day at Pusa, New Delhi.

He lauded the contributions of the farming community to the nation. Among the farmers he spoke to were Tribhuvan Singh, Aniket Chauhan, Bhavlesh Chauhan, Hemraj Chauhan, and Jagdish Sharma. All of them shared their experiences as beneficiaries of government schemes.

Addressing the gathering, Chouhan extended his greetings on Republic Day and thanked all the farmers present, along with dignitaries including Ramnath Thakur, Bhagirath Chaudhary, and Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi.

“First of all, my best wishes to everyone on Republic Day. India has a population of 1.4 billion, more than the United States and Europe combined. In the past, only a few people used to come to Rajpath. Today, Kartavya Path is filled with farmers wearing turbans, and it fills me with immense pride,” Chouhan said.

Calling farmers the “soul of the nation,” he added, “During the previous governments, farmers were not invited. Today, our farmer brothers watched the March Past, and I am overwhelmed with pride. Today, India does not bow before anyone; we speak to the world eye-to-eye.”

The minister highlighted several government initiatives aimed at supporting farmers, including the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses such as tur, masoor, and urad. He also spoke about expanding crop insurance to cover losses caused by animals and imposing a 30 per cent import duty on pulses coming from abroad.

Chouhan announced the creation of a unified Farmer ID system, which will consolidate all farmer details to streamline benefits. He also outlined reforms in crop insurance: under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, if insurance companies delay payments beyond 22 days, they will be liable to pay 12 per cent interest. State governments delaying payments will also face a similar penalty.

The minister further said, “We are soon going to introduce a law in Parliament against counterfeit seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides, with fines up to Rs 30 lakh. We will also conduct farmers’ workshops to ensure greater awareness and training.”

He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the recognition of farmers, noting that three farmers were recently awarded Padma Awards in acknowledgement of their contribution to agriculture.

“Serving farmers is my only passion as Agriculture Minister. All our efforts are aimed at making their lives better, ensuring fair prices for their crops, and protecting their livelihoods,” Chouhan said.

Meanwhile, Chouhan further said that farmers from across the country participated in the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path. They also celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm, the Minister added.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Union Minister Chouhan said that farmers were specially invited this year and were given various types of training to enhance their skills in the agriculture sector.

“Earlier, farmers were not usually invited in this manner, but now we are giving priority to them. On this special occasion, several farmers were also honoured. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone working in the agriculture sector is being recognised,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan further said.

The Union Minister added that after the presentation of Vande Mataram at Kartavya Path, it felt as if the entire country had come together. “Different languages, different attire, yet one nation – this was the spirit visible on Republic Day, something that cannot be expressed in words. It once again ignited feelings of patriotism in the hearts of all Indians,” he said.

Chouhan said that farmers were special guests at the event. “Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and farmers are its soul. The farmers witnessed the Republic Day programme with great enthusiasm and also participated in several activities,” he said.

He further informed that four farmers and agricultural scientists were honoured with awards.

“We wholeheartedly honour them. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is moving forward without any compromise on development-related work. As a result, the nation today is progressing at double speed,” the Union Minister said.

–IANS

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