Patna, Aug 20 (IANS) Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced the approval of 11,18,937 pucca houses for poor families in Bihar with an allocation of Rs 13,427 crore at the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana programme held in the state capital.
Taking stock of the progress made over the past two years, Chouhan said that 24,30,327 houses had already been approved for Bihar, involving a total expenditure of Rs 29,164 crore. He said the figures demonstrated that the government was not merely making announcements, but ensuring that development reached beneficiaries on the ground.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, funds under government schemes were being transferred to beneficiaries with greater transparency, the minister said.
Chouhan also highlighted the importance of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which will now be implemented in Bihar. He said the scheme would provide farmers protection against crop losses caused by floods, drought, excessive rainfall and other natural calamities. In the event of crop damage, eligible farmers would receive compensation, reducing the uncertainty associated with farming.
Along with crop insurance, procurement, support systems and access to technology were also being strengthened, he said. “If the farmer is strong, the village will be strong; and if the village is strong, Bihar will be strong,” Chouhan said, emphasising that agricultural policies must deliver tangible benefits on the ground. He urged farmers to understand their rights and make timely use of the benefits available under the crop insurance scheme.
Chouhan also placed strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment. He said that lakhs of women in Bihar were progressing through Self-Help Groups and that a large number of them had already become Lakhpati Didis. He described the Lakhpati Didi initiative as an important link between rural development and women’s empowerment.
Chouhan stressed that increasing production by women’s groups would not be enough unless their products also received access to markets. He said efforts would be made to establish She-Marts in every district, providing Jeevika Didi and women’s Self-Help Groups with platforms to sell their products.
The Union Minister also appreciated Bihar’s progress in creating Farmer IDs, stating that 53,83,000 farmer identity cards had already been created in the state. He said the Farmer ID would make it easier to deliver government schemes directly and quickly to eligible farmers, while improving transparency and simplifying beneficiary identification.
Chouhan also highlighted the importance of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and rural connectivity. He said roads, houses and agriculture were three fundamental requirements for improving rural life. Better roads would connect villages with markets and services, pucca houses would provide security to families, and stronger agriculture would help increase rural incomes, he added.
–IANS
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