Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman on Friday said the Narendra Modi government was focussed on ‘Gaon, Garib, Kisan’ as she announced a slew of schemes to boost investment in the rural sector and the uplift of farmers. Every rural family to have electricity, clean cooking facility by 2022. She said that every single the rural family will have electricity and a clean cooking facility by 2022. “By 2022, the 75th year of independence, I assure that every single rural family except those who are unwilling to take the connection will have electricity and a clean cooking facility,” she said while presenting the Budget for 2019-20 in Lok Sabha.
“Household access to clean cooking gas has seen an unprecedented expansion through the provision of 7 crores LPG connections. All villages and almost 100 percent households across the country have been provided with electricity,” said the Finance Minister.
Sitharaman also said the government would develop the traditional industries of bamboo, honey, and khadi to benefit 50,000 artisans move up the value chains.
• Every rural family to have gas, power connectivity by 2022.
• All rural families to have electricity connection by 2022.
• The government keeps Antyodaya at the core of all its policies.
• Villages, poor, farmers at centre of every government plan.
• To invest in agriculture infrastructure.
• To invest 802.5 billion rupees to upgrade rural roads in five years.
• To upgrade 125,000 km of rural roads in five years.
• 30,000 km roads under PM Sadak Yojana built with green technology.
• All-weather roads provided to 97 percent of habitation.
• To have a robust framework for the fisheries management network.
• 19.5 million homes to be given till 2022 in PM rural house plan.
• 15 million homes completed under PM rural house plan.
• APMCs shouldn’t hamper farmers from getting a fair price.
• Zero-budget farming to be promoted.
• Hope to form 10,000 farmer producer organisations.
• Aiming oilseed self-sufficiency, to help cut import bill.
• Ease of doing business, living should apply to farmers too.
• To create infrastructure for cattle feed manufacturing.
• Will support private companies to add value for farm producers.
• Zero-budget farming can help double farmers’ income.
Hailing the success of her government's schemes, Sitharaman said that a combination of efficient implementation and enthusiastic adoption has significantly improved access to energy to rural households.
(With inputs from ANI and Cogencies)
