Rajasthan: At a Shivraj Singh Chouhan farmers conference held in Merta City of Rajasthan’s Nagaur district on Monday, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred financial assistance under several schemes directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
The large conference brought together senior leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Agriculture Minister Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash, Minister of State for Revenue Vijay Singh, Farmers’ Commission Chairman C. R. Chaudhary, MP Mahima Kumari and MLA Laxman Ram Ji Kalaru also attended.
Addressing farmers, Chouhan said Rajasthan had recorded rapid development over the last two years. He announced the release of ₹2,089 crore for the construction of 12,600 rural roads across the state. According to him, better connectivity directly supported agricultural growth and market access.
Referring to national priorities, the minister said India was advancing towards a strong and self-reliant future under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He added that development programmes aimed to strengthen both rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity.
Chouhan said Rajasthan’s agricultural sector had seen fast-paced improvement. He pointed to the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient seed varieties. At the same time, the state achieved visible progress in reducing cultivation costs.
Praising the state government, he said Rajasthan provided an additional ₹3,000 to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, along with ₹6,000 assistance. As a result, farmers received ₹9,000, which eased production expenses.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan farmers conference outlines MSP and rural reforms
Continuing the Shivraj Singh Chouhan farmers conference, the minister said Rajasthan received nearly ₹29,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana over the past two years. Moreover, the government addressed gaps in the crop insurance framework to speed up claim settlements.
To enforce accountability, Chouhan said insurance firms must pay 12 per cent interest if they delay claims. The system, he added, credits the interest amount directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
On procurement, the minister said the Centre doubled the Minimum Support Price under Prime Minister Modi. This year, authorities approved the procurement of about 3.05 lakh metric tonnes of moong worth nearly ₹2,680 crore from Rajasthan. In addition, agencies planned to procure 5.54 lakh metric tonnes of groundnut, while soybean procurement of 2.65 lakh metric tonnes continued.
He assured farmers that the Centre would intervene whenever required to ensure fair prices. Therefore, the government would not allow any MSP shortfall.
Defending the newly enacted Viksit Bharat – G Ram G law, Chouhan said opposition criticism ignored ground realities. He said the law aimed to transform villages while balancing worker welfare and farmer interests. Under the law, employment days increased from 100 to 125.
Highlighting expenditure, he said over ₹40,000 crore remained unspent under MGNREGA during the UPA period. In contrast, annual spending reached ₹1.11 lakh crore under the current government, with ₹1,51,282 crore proposed for the present year.
Explaining decentralisation, Chouhan said Gram Panchayats now prepared village development plans. These plans focused on poverty-free and employment-oriented growth. Over five years, around ₹7.5 lakh would be spent per village.
Water conservation received priority under the scheme. Additionally, delayed wage payments would attract interest. Administrative expenditure rose from 6 per cent to 9 per cent to ensure timely salaries, with ₹13,000 crore allocated annually.
Concluding, the minister said the government planned to introduce a Seed Act and a Bill to curb fake fertilisers in the next Parliament session. He said strict penalties would target those who cheated farmers
