Medak: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the voice for a local slogan inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement. Stating that India will soon become the third largest economy in the world after Japan and Germany, he said that interest in foreign goods will adversely affect the country.
Speaking at the Natural and Organic Kisan Sammelan-2024 organized by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Tuniki village of Medak district on Wednesday, Dhankar said, ‘I strongly believe that agriculture has not been given enough attention. We should develop agriculture like we do. There have been some changes in ICAR, but let’s look at their budget.”
Asking for a self-audit of the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Vice President said that agriculture and agricultural development were not given enough attention. These institutions employ thousands of scientists, about 5,000 and about 25,000 people, he said. The budget is more than eight thousand crores. Who are we doing research for? Whose lives are we trying to change? Has there been any change in their lives, asked Dhankhar.
“Developed India 2047 is no longer a dream; This is a goal. To this end, the most important contribution to this sacrifice is the rural system and the farmers. Our challenge is to increase the per capita income by eight times, only then the goal of a developed India will be achieved,” he said.
Former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated agricultural development. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, its more than 150 institutes, several universities and around 730 agricultural science centers will be fully engaged to ensure that the silver jubilee of Kisan Divas next year is a practically farmer-centric, rural-centric contribution. ” he added.
Talking about Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and fertilizer subsidy, Dhankhar said, “Agriculture centers should come up with a formula so that this subsidy goes directly to the farmers because technologically India has set the benchmark globally.
He said, “There are some people in the world and within India who cannot digest our progress. Extortionist tactics are being used. I see around me a sinister convergence of forces opposed to India’s progress, and their outlook is quite strange. It is the duty of every Indian to have unwavering faith in nationalism. Nation first, my country first. Let’s work with this spirit,’ he said.
In a democracy, the way to solve problems is through dialogue, and the Prime Minister has said on the global stage that the world’s burning problems and conflicts can be solved through dialogue,’ he said. Impressed by the organic farming done by the farmers of Medak district, Dhankar said that he will soon host the farmers in New Delhi for three days.
Governor Jishnu Dev Verma, Minister Konda Surekha and others were present in the event.