Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Sunday described the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' scheme as a historic step towards empowerment of farmers and said it will help double their income by 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM-KISAN scheme in Rampur on Sunday.
Naqvi said the scheme will give wings to the aspirations of crores of hardworking farmers of India, according to a statement.
Under the scheme, Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares. A first instalment of Rs 2,000 was credited to over one crore farmers Sunday and the rest of them will get the money in the coming days.
Naqvi said the Modi government's policy of "development with dignity" has served every needy section of society as it is committed to welfare of villages, farmers and the youth.
"Our government has taken several major reformist steps for welfare of the farmers which has transformed their lives," he said. Naqvi also distributed assistance cheques to the farmers on the occasion.
Referring to the issue of terrorism, he said security forces have broken the backbone of terrorism and that Pakistan has been isolated at the international level.
Before 2014, hundreds of innocent people were killed in terror activities in different parts of the country but the Modi government's "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism has meant that terrorist activities have been confined to a few places in Kashmir, Naqvi claimed.
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