PM Modi inaugurates project of widening Varanasi-Prayagraj section on NH-19 into six-lane

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched massive six-lane widening project of Varanasi-Prayagraj on NH-19. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “Unprecedented work has been done on new highways, pull-flyovers, widening of roads to reduce traffic jams in and around Varanasi.” He added that the farmers would greatly benefitted by modern connectivity and that over the years, efforts have been undergoing for infrastructure creation like modern roads across the villages and cold storage and for this purpose a rupees 1 lakh crore fund has been created.
He also mentioned about the farmers getting benefitted by the modern infrastructure and the efforts being made by the government. He also informed about the introduction of black rice in Chandauli two years back and that it has increased the farmers’ income. A farmer committee was also formed last year to offer black rice to them to be grown by them in Kharif season.
It should be known while normal rice is sold Rs 35-40 a kg, the black rice is as high as Rs 300 a kg. Even Black rice is being exported to Australia at the price of Rs 800 per kg. The PM said, the country’s agricultural products farmers should have access to big market and higher prices. He added earlier outside the mandi transactions were illegal, but now the small farmer are capable of taking legal action on transactions outside the mandi as well.
Modi said, big schemes, larger loan waiver packages were announced for the farmers but earlier regimes believed themselves out of Rs. 1 only 15 paisa reached the farmers. He said the Government has delivered on its promise of fixing MSP 1.5 times the cost in accordance with Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations. This promise was fulfilled and it reached into the farmers’ bank accounts.
He added that earlier before 2014, in the five years pulses of around Rs 6.5 crore were procured, but in the succeeding five years about Rs 49000 crore worth pulses were procured which is an increase of over 75 times. He said paddy worth Rs 2 lakh crore were purchased in five years prior to 2014, however, in the subsequent five the government has passed on Rs 5 lakh crore as MSP of paddy to the farmers. He stressed on the government’s spending of crores of rupees for the modernization of the mandis.
He informed that more than 10 core farmers’ families are being provided assistance of Rs1 lakh crore rupees and it has been reaching directly to their bank accounts. He equally expressed confidence that all the farmers will benefit from these agricultural reforms and increase their income.