THE NEWS FREEDOM
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Saturday inaugurated the pilot project of world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector, which is being done in 11 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) of 11 States. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for an additional 500 PACS across the country for the construction of godowns and other agri infrastructure under this initiative. This initiative aims to seamlessly integrate PACS godowns with the food grain supply chain, fortifying food security and fostering economic development in the country with a collaborative effort supported by NABARD and spearheaded by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
This initiative is being implemented through convergence of various existing schemes like the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agriculture Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), etc. to enable PACS participating in the project to avail subsidies and interest subvention benefits for undertaking infrastructure development. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a project for computerization in 18,000 PACS across the country, aligning with the government’s vision of “Sahakar se Samridhi” aimed at rejuvenating the cooperative sector and empowering small and marginal farmers.
किसान भाई-बहनों के हित में हम दशकों से चली आ रही भंडारण की समस्या का समाधान सहकारी समितियों के जरिए कर रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/MUiMs9yDxa
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 24, 2024
Speaking on the occasion the Prime Minister noted that Bharat Mandapam is witnessing another milestone in the journey of Viksit Bharat i.e. a step forward in the direction of ‘Sahkaar se Samriddhi’.The power of cooperation has a huge role in strengthening the foundation of agriculture and farming, this has led to a separate Ministry for Cooperation. He said that the ‘World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’ launched today will result in thousands of warehouses and godowns in every corner of the country. This and other projects like computerization of PACs will give new dimensions to agriculture and modernize farming in the country.
The Prime Minister underlined that cooperatives are an ancient concept for India. Quoting a scripture, the Prime Minister explained that a large task can be accomplished if smaller resources are put together and said that this model was followed in the ancient system of villages in India. “Cooperatives were the foundations of India’s atmanirbhar society. It is not just any system, but a belief, a spirit”, PM Modi remarked, highlighting that this spirit of cooperatives is beyond the bound.
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In another function, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also launched a scathing attack on the Congress party for what he termed “dynastic politics” during his address at the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Chhattisgarh’ program via video conferencing on Saturday. Modi accused the Congress of being entrenched in nepotism, corruption, and appeasement, contrasting their focus on family with his resolution to fulfill the dreams of the people. Emphasizing the empowerment of youth, women, the poor, and farmers as key to building a developed Chhattisgarh, Modi highlighted the role of modern infrastructure in achieving this goal. The Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation, and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 34,400 crores during the event, spanning crucial sectors including Roads, Railways, Coal, Power, and Solar Energy.