Cultivating A New Era: India Unveils Ambitious 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana'

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) In a landmark move poised to revolutionise India's agricultural landscape, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its resounding approval to the 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana'.

This ambitious initiative, spanning six years and kicking off in the fiscal year 2025-26, aims to breathe new life into the agricultural sector of 100 identified districts across India.

Announcing the decision to reporters following the cabinet meeting, India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the scheme's unique nature.

He explained that the 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' draws inspiration from NITI Aayog's highly successful Aspirational District Programme, but crucially, it stands as the first of its kind to focus exclusively and comprehensively on agriculture and its allied sectors.

This dedicated focus underscores the government's unwavering commitment to bolstering the backbone of the Indian economy.

The scheme's power, Vaishnaw elaborated, lies in its strategic approach of convergence. It will seamlessly integrate 36 existing schemes currently managed by 11 different government departments, alongside various state-level initiatives.

This will be further amplified by robust local partnerships with the private sector, creating a powerful synergy designed to maximise impact and streamline implementation.

The core objectives of the 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' are multifaceted and designed to address critical challenges within the agricultural domain. These include a concerted effort to enhance agricultural productivity, encourage the widespread adoption of crop diversification and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

A significant emphasis will also be placed on augmenting post-harvest storage facilities at the crucial panchayat and block levels, thereby reducing wastage and improving market access for farmers.

Furthermore, the scheme will strive to improve irrigation facilities and crucially, facilitate the availability of both long-term and short-term credit, ensuring farmers have the necessary financial lifelines to invest and thrive.

This initiative directly follows through on a key announcement made in the 2025-26 Budget, which outlined plans to develop 100 districts under the very same 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana'.

Taking to social media platform X later that day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his government's deep-seated commitment to transforming the lives of India's farming community.

“In this direction,” he wrote,“the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhanya Agriculture Scheme has been approved today. This will not only increase crop production in the districts that have been lagging in the agricultural sector but also boost the income of our food providers.”

His words underscored the dual aim of the scheme: to not only boost national agricultural output but also to significantly improve the economic well-being of those who feed the nation.

An official release detailed the meticulous process for selecting the 100 target districts. These will be identified based on three critical indicators: low productivity, low cropping intensity and limited credit disbursement.

To ensure equitable representation, the number of districts selected from each state or Union Territory will be determined by their respective share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings.

Importantly, a minimum of one district will be selected from every state, ensuring the scheme's benefits are widely distributed.

Effective planning, implementation and rigorous monitoring of the scheme will be overseen by committees established at the District, State and National levels. This multi-tiered governance structure is designed to ensure accountability and responsiveness throughout the programme's lifecycle.

At the grassroots level, a District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be meticulously finalised by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti (Society). These committees will importantly include progressive farmers as members, ensuring that the plans are grounded in practical realities and directly address the needs of those on the ground.

These District Plans will be carefully aligned with broader national goals, including crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors and the expansion of natural and organic farming.

To track progress diligently, the scheme's performance in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored monthly against 117 key performance indicators via a dedicated dashboard, providing real-time insights into the programme's efficacy.

Further oversight and guidance will be provided by NITI Aayog, which will regularly review and guide the district plans. Additionally, Central Nodal Officers, specially appointed for each district, will conduct regular reviews of the scheme's implementation, providing an additional layer of scrutiny and support.

The anticipated ripple effect of the scheme is significant. As the targeted outcomes in these 100 districts improve, the official release stated, the overall national average across key performance indicators will naturally show an upward trajectory.

This concerted effort is expected to result in higher productivity, enhanced value addition in agriculture and allied sectors and the creation of local livelihood opportunities.

Ultimately, this will contribute to a substantial increase in domestic agricultural production, pushing India closer to its vision of self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat).

Welcoming the Cabinet's decision, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan elaborated on the identification process. He confirmed that districts with low agricultural productivity or limited utilisation of Agri Credit Cards (ACC) by farmers would be prioritised.

In these areas, the government will work tirelessly to ensure the comprehensive implementation of schemes from the 11 different departments through this converged approach.

This comprehensive strategy will encompass not only central government schemes but also those initiated by state governments, alongside valuable contributions from any other willing partners.

As noted, approximately 100 such districts will be chosen, with the guarantee of at least one district from every state.

Preparatory work for this monumental undertaking is already well underway. Minister Chouhan informed the media that a nodal officer will be appointed for each selected district and both the districts and their respective nodal officers are expected to be finalised by the end of July.

Training sessions for all involved will commence in August, running concurrently with extensive public awareness campaigns to ensure widespread understanding and participation in the scheme.

Minister Chouhan also provided context for the scheme, highlighting India's remarkable progress in foodgrain production, which has increased by over 40%, alongside historic growth in the production of fruits, milk and vegetables.

However, he candidly acknowledged that significant disparities in productivity persist, not only between different states but even between districts within the same state.

The 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' is designed to directly address these inconsistencies and uplift the lagging regions.

He reiterated that NITI Aayog will play a crucial role in tracking district-level progress based on pre-defined indicators and will be responsible for creating the central dashboard for monitoring.

The on-the-ground campaign for the scheme will officially kick off with the Rabi season in October.

The minister further outlined the proposed committee structure: a district-level committee, to be led by either the Gram Panchayat or the District Collector, will comprise departmental officers, progressive farmers and other stakeholders who will collectively make decisions.

Similar teams will be established at the state level, tasked with ensuring the effective convergence of schemes within their districts.

At the central level, two distinct teams will be formed: one operating under the direct purview of Union ministers and another under the Secretaries, with officers drawn from various departments, reflecting the multi-sectoral nature of the scheme.

Chouhan concluded by emphasising that the overarching goal of this initiative is not merely to bring low-yield districts up to the national average in terms of productivity, but to empower them to achieve top productivity levels.

Beyond traditional crops, the scheme will also extend its focus to vital allied sectors, including fruit cultivation, fisheries, beekeeping, animal husbandry and agroforestry, ensuring a holistic approach to agricultural development and rural prosperity across India.

The post Cultivating a New Era: India Unveils Ambitious 'Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' appeared first on Colombo Gazette .

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