Modi blows Bihar poll bugle from Bhagalpur with 19th farmers’ incentive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released around ₹22,000 crore with a single click into the accounts of around 9.8-crore farmers -- up from 9.60-crore the last time -- across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) from Bhagalpur as the 19th instalment under the PM-KISAN scheme, a Central Sector Scheme launched on 24th February 2019 to provide annual financial assistance of ₹6,000 per eligible farmer family.

“The NDA government -- be it at the Centre or under Nitish Kumar in Bihar -- has farmers’ welfare at the top of the priority. Those who wiped out fodder of the cattle cannot work for it. The long rule of the Congress and the RJD did huge damage to Bihar,” he said in an oblique reference to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who was convicted on corruption charges involving money for fodder.

Modi said that the development of eastern part of the country was a prerequisite for a developed India, and Bihar has to play a key role in it. “Therefore, the NDA government is giving equal emphasis to the industrial and agricultural development of Bihar. Bhagalpur will also soon have a Central University, with the revival of ancient seat of learning, Vikramshila University ,” he added.

Maintaining that Bihar would emerge as a major hub for the food processing industry in eastern India, Modi said a National Institute of Food Technology and Entrepreneurship and three new Centers of Excellence in agriculture would be set up in the state, one of which will be in Bhagalpur.

“Bihar’s Makhana is in focus now. Makhana is a superfood and has become a staple part of breakfast in cities across the country. I eat makhana on at least 300 out of 365 days a year. We must now take it to global markets. That’s why, in this year’s budget, the government has announced the formation of a Makhana Board for the benefit of makhana farmers,” he said.

Taking a dig at the previous governments, he said the PM-KISAN scheme budget alone was more than the entire agriculture budget during the period of the government of the Congress and those who unleashed jungle Raj on Bihar.

“Those soaked in corruption can never do bring about any positive change and the NDA government under Nitish Kumar has strived to pull Bihar out the mess and take it forward,” he added, listing out the achievements of his government and a slew of big announcements for Bihar in the Union Budget to take Bihar forward.

The PM said that his government was committed to serving the “four pillars” of developed India: The youth, farmers, the poor, and women. “All our programmes are addressing them, but those who unleashed jungle raj on Bihar are against everything positive,” he added.

He said the population bigger than the entire Europe has already taken holy dip in the Mahakumbh of unity at Prayag, but the jungle raj people were abusing it, just as they spoke ill against Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. “Bihar people will never forgive them,” he added.

The much expected visit of the PM to poll-bound Bihar, which remains the only state to have state polls later this year, is being viewed as significant to bolster the prospects of the NDA, which is eyeing 225 seats this time, better than even 2010 when it had relegated the RJD to just 22 seats.

He was also in a road show in Bhagalpur with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in an open jeep and waived to people. There was a big gathering all across the stretch the road show passed through to sound the poll bugle ahead of the high-stake electoral battle and send the message across that in the months to come, the state would get to see a lot more of Modi.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Lalan Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chirag Paswan, Ramnath Thakur, Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were among other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Bihar share

Into the sixth year of game-changing scheme, a “Kisan Samman Samaroh”was also organised in Bhagalpur by the Union Ministry of Agriculture in coordination with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D), Government of India, Ministry of Railways, Government of India and Government of Bihar.

Modi said that in Bihar, over 75-lakh farmer families will benefit from it. “A sum of 1600-crore has reached their accounts instantly and I was seeing them checking their mobile phones,” he added.

With the 19th instalment, the total benefit amount transferred to beneficiaries in Bihar is around ₹27,088 crores.

In Bhagalpur alone, so far over ₹813.87 crore have been transferred to around 2.82 Lakh beneficiaries under 18 instalments of PM KISAN. In the 19th instalment around 2.48 lakhs beneficiaries will receive benefits of over ₹51.22 crore. With this the total amount will reach around ₹865.09 crores.

Other schemes launched

The PM launched several other initiatives in Bhagalpur. In Barauni, Bihar, Barauni Dairy will start a state-of-the-art dairy product plant developed with an investment of ₹113.27 crore and with a milk processing capacity of about 2 lakh litres.

Modi will also inaugurated the Regional Center of Excellence (CoE) at Motihari under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with an investment of ₹33.80 crore, to enhance cattle breeding and dairy productivity.

He inaugurated the 10,000th Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) in Bihar, marking the achievement of the 10,000-FPO target set under the scheme launched in 2020. This milestone also signifies the successful culmination of the initiative aimed at strengthening farmers’ bargaining power and improving market access.

The scheme was launched February 29 2020 with budget outlay of ₹6,865 Crore till 2027-28. Since the launch of the scheme, ₹254.4 Crore in equity grants has been released to 4,761 FPOs and credit guarantee cover worth ₹453 Cr. has been issued to 1,900 FPOs.

Modi also inaugurated infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation in the region. They include doubling of the Warisaliganj–Nawadah–Tilaiya rail section build with an investment of ₹526 crore, and covering a stretch of 36.45 km.

Besides, the Ismailpur–Rafiganj Road Over Bridge built with an investment of ₹47 crore was anlso inaugurated to smooth connectivity.