Early Times Report LUCKNOW, June 25: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the establishment of a Clean Plant Center in Lucknow to accelerate the growth of Uttar Pradesh's horticulture sector. He said, "The center will provide farmers with high-quality, disease-free planting material, helping expand horticultural cultivation and significantly increase farmers' incomes." Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan jointly reviewed Uttar Pradesh's agricultural roadmap, the implementation of various central and state agricultural schemes, and rural development programmes on Thursday at the Yojana Bhawan in Lucknow. Senior officials from both the Central and State Governments also attended the meeting. Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister said, "A prosperous Uttar Pradesh is essential for realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat. The faster Uttar Pradesh advances in agriculture, rural development, and farmers' prosperity, the sooner the national goal of a developed India will be achieved." He expressed confidence that the Centre and the State, through coordinated efforts, would successfully fulfill this national aspiration. He said, "Uttar Pradesh was once counted among the BIMARU states but is now setting new benchmarks of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The state has achieved remarkable progress in agriculture, rural development, infrastructure, and public welfare." The Union Minister observed that while Uttar Pradesh has made significant progress in agriculture, evolving challenges require serious deliberation to align the sector with future needs and the vision of Viksit Bharat. He said, "The review meeting was organized to formulate strategies for making agriculture more productive, profitable, climate-resilient, and sustainable." On the occasion, Shivraj Singh Chouhan also approved the extension of the government procurement period for gram, lentil, and mustard and handed over the approval letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Chief Minister thanked him, stating that the decision would enable more farmers to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), thereby safeguarding their interests. The Union Minister also handed over a list of 618,482 eligible beneficiaries for the next phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) to the Chief Minister and congratulated the state government. |