Bhubaneswar, October 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Saturday graced a special Krishi programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi and launched two major schemes in the agriculture sector, with an outlay of Rs 35,440 crore. The Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for a Rs 60 crore fish market in Odisha's Bhubaneswar and a Rs 100 crore state-of-the-art integrated aqua park in Hirakud in Sambalpur district via video conferencing.
The retail fish market will be spread over 5.80 acres of land and will have modern infrastructure for wholesale and retail operations while the aqua park at Hirakud aims to boost tourism and recreational infrastructure, promote aquaculture awareness, and create jobs.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister KV Singh Deo joined the event virtually from OUAT in Bhubaneswar.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister also launched the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana which has an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore. He also launched the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated and dedicated to the nation projects valued at over Rs 5,450 crore in the agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors, while laying the foundation stone for additional projects worth around Rs 815 crore.
Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister remarked, “Today is a historic day that marks the birth anniversaries of two of Maa Bharati’s illustrious sons who redefined India’s democratic fabric and rural development. Jayaprakash Narayan ji and Nanaji Deshmukh ji were the voices of rural Bharat and dedicated their lives to the empowerment of farmers and the underprivileged".
During the programme, the Prime Minister interacted with farmers engaged in pulses cultivation, who have benefitted from various government schemes aimed at establishing a value chain-based approach in Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries. These farmers have also gained from membership in Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and support under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
