Raipur. Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh today attended the Beneficiary Farmers Conference organized by Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Institute of Biotic Stress Management located in village Baraunda near the capital Raipur. On this occasion, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh along with the guests planted a Rudraksha sapling in the Management Institute Campus under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During this, Dr. Singh distributed agricultural equipment power reaper, oil mill machine, spares etc. to five farmers as a symbol.
While addressing the Beneficiary Farmers Conference, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Raman Singh said that the farmers of Chhattisgarh are doing better work through modern technology by making strategies to deal with serious situations like biological stress or biotic stress. Biotic stress refers to the harmful effect of living organisms on the plant, which includes insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. He said that the foundation stone of this institute was laid here on October 7, 2012 with the aim of ensuring the availability of food in the state by procuring maximum grains from the land of Chhattisgarh through basic, strategic and favorable research on biological stresses in agriculture. He told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated this institute to the nation on 28 September 2021. Since then, this institute has done many research, continuously worked for better crops of the farmers of Chhattisgarh in the agricultural world and has achieved many achievements. Dr. Singh told that in the country, about Rs 1 lakh 40 thousand crore of agricultural produce is lost annually due to biological stress.
In India, biotic stress causes 30-35 percent loss in all crops, while globally, pests cause 10 to 28 percent loss in crop production. On one hand, many poor countries are facing starvation due to lack of food grains, while on the other hand, the loss of such a large number of crops shows how big a problem biotic stress is for agriculture. To solve this problem, this institute is working on strategies and techniques for better production.
He said that a total of 3966 farmer families have been included under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and a total of 3324 farmer families have been included under the Tribal Sub-Plan by this institute and a total of 333 villages under 13 districts Jashpur, Raigarh, Kanker, Rajnandgaon, Bastar, Mahasamund, Gariaband, Korba, Surguja, Dhamtari, Balodabazar- Bhatapara, Durg and Raipur have been given the benefit of the projects. This is a remarkable work of the institute. I appreciated the work being done by the institute in the direction of providing support to the farmers as well as research and making the youth aware of agriculture.
Through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Modi’s government is providing financial assistance of Rs 6000 to farmers every year. After taking oath for the third time, Prime Minister Modi has first released the 17th installment of ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ and transferred Rs 20,000 crore to the bank accounts of farmers. Through many schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sinchai Yojana, PKVY (Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme), Kisan Credit Card, Modi is strengthening the hands of the country’s food producers.
During our one and a half decade of government in Chhattisgarh, we set a record by providing loans to farmers at zero percent interest rate for the first time in the country, linked the system of purchasing Chhattisgarh’s main crop paddy at the support price to computer and online system. We made the state the first in the country to do complete monitoring using information technology for a transparent system of paddy purchase.
Today, when Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai’s government is in power in the state, he immediately paid the support price of Rs 32,000 crore to the farmers, fulfilling the guarantee of purchasing paddy at the rate of Rs 3100 per quintal, 21 quintals per acre. And the difference amount of Rs 13,320 crore was given to 24 lakh 75 thousand farmers under the Krishak Unnati Yojana. You will be happy to know that this year a record purchase of 145 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been made in the Kharif season.
On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Good Governance Day, the Chhattisgarh government has also fulfilled the guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by transferring the outstanding paddy bonus of Rs 3716 crore to the bank accounts of 13 lakh farmers.
Agriculture Development and Farmers Welfare Minister Ramvichar Netam, who was presiding over the program, said that this national level Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Institute of Biotic Stress Management located near the capital Raipur is doing a good job in reducing biological stress by formulating strategies in the interest of the farmers of the country and the state. For this, the institute deserves congratulations. The institute is finding biological reasons and finding solutions for the prosperity of the farmers and increasing production. Along with this, it is commendable that the country is taking the country on the path of progress by providing education and training of agricultural management to the students of the country and the state. Giving credit to former Chief Minister and Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and Chief Guest of today’s program Dr. Raman Singh for establishing IIM, IIT along with the Agricultural Institute in the state, he said that it is the result of his efficient leadership and farsighted thinking that today high level national level institutes are established in Chhattisgarh too.
Minister Netam said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, the state government is purchasing paddy from the farmers of the state at the rate of 21 quintals per acre at the rate of Rs 3100 per quintal. Due to this, the farmers have become financially prosperous. Farmers have moved towards farming. He said that farmers should not cultivate only paddy, which will affect other crops. They should move towards other traditional farming. He said that better work is also being done in the field of horticulture.
Addressing the Kisan Beneficiary Sammelan, Dharsiwa MLA Anuj Sharma said that it is a matter of pride to have a national level institute in Chhattisgarh and it is a matter of happiness that this institute was established during the tenure of the chief guest of the program, Dr. Raman Singh as Chief Minister. This institute is the result of his farsighted thinking in the interest of the people of Chhattisgarh. This institute is doing balanced and result-oriented work. This is commendable. He appealed to the farmers to become prosperous farmers by joining this institute.
In the program, Director and Vice Chancellor of Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Dr. P.K. Ghosh gave the welcome address and Dr. Sanjay Sharma conducted the stage. Agricultural scientists, administrative officers, professors and a large number of farmers and students were present in the program.