OCT 17: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Ministry to review and ensure the timely implementation of two flagship agricultural initiatives: the ‘Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission’ and the ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’. The meeting emphasized time-bound execution and strategic coordination to maximize benefits for farmers across the country.
Shri Chouhan announced that a meeting with Ministers from 11 concerned ministries will soon be convened to fast-track the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, which was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 11, 2025. This scheme, designed to integrate 36 sub-schemes across 11 ministries, focuses on boosting agricultural development in 100 aspirational districts, with a total outlay of ₹24,000 crore over six years (FY 2025–26 onwards).
For the Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission, the Minister directed officials to form district-level clusters in coordination with States, ensuring that production, productivity, and farmer participation targets are achieved. The mission, with an outlay of ₹11,440 crore over six years, aims to expand the area under pulses from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares, increase production from 242 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes, and improve productivity to 1,130 kg per hectare by 2030–31. It is also expected to generate substantial employment opportunities in rural areas.
Shri Chouhan underscored the importance of grassroots-level implementation, instructing officials to engage closely with nodal officers in the States to ensure that both schemes benefit farmers directly. He also emphasized the need for inter-ministerial coordination, robust monitoring mechanisms, and timely interventions to achieve the desired outcomes.
The meeting reflected the government’s commitment to agricultural self-reliance, increased productivity, and farmer prosperity, aligning with broader national objectives of boosting rural livelihoods and strengthening India’s position as a leader in pulses and foodgrain production.