ITANAGAR, Jun 1: Chief Minister Pema Khandu has welcomed the decisions taken by the union cabinet in its first meeting, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, for the welfare of farmers, traders, shopkeepers and students, terming the decisions “historic and philanthropic.”
Expressing gratitude to Modi and his council of ministers for taking the decisions, Khandu on Friday said, “The Modi government, which symbolizes ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikaas’ and ‘Sabka vishwas’, is standing tall and living upto the people’s aspirations.”
He said Modi would deliver what he has promised.
The union cabinet approved to cover 14.5 crore farmers across the country under the PM Kisan Scheme, under which farmers, irrespective of their land holdings, will get Rs 6,000 in their bank accounts.
The union cabinet also approved a proposal to spend Rs 10,774.5 crore for a period of three years for providing pension cover to crores of farmers. Further, three crore retail traders, shopkeepers and self-employed persons in the country attaining the age of 60 years will be assured of a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000. Five crore traders are expected to avail the scheme in the next three years.
In another decision, the union cabinet approved an ambitious scheme with a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crore to fully control foot and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis diseases among the livestock in the country in the next five years.
“This scheme will greatly help the farmers of my state, who are predominantly engaged in livestock rearing and had been struggling to eradicate FMD,” the CM said.
He also extended gratitude to the prime minister for “subsiding the previous ratio of Centre and state share of 60:40 fund and the Centre bearing the entire cost in the new decision.”
“This is a welcome gesture for the farmers and a state government like ours, which has limited resources,” Khandu said.
He also lauded the union cabinet for enhancing the amount to be paid as part of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund. The ambit of the scholarship scheme has also been extended to the wards of state police personnel who were martyred in terror/Naxal attacks. (CMO)
