Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday extended New Year greetings to farmers, workers, labourers, youth and women across the country, reaffirming the government’s commitment to building a strong foundation for a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
In his New Year message, the Union Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is focused on empowering villages, the poor, farmers, workers, youth and women as part of its development agenda. He emphasised that agriculture and rural development would remain key priorities in the coming year.
Chouhan said efforts would be intensified to increase agricultural production, enhance farmers’ incomes and strengthen rural infrastructure. He described farmers as the nation’s food providers and said the prosperity of workers and labourers, who form the backbone of the economy, remains a central concern for the government.
Referring to the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative, the Union Minister said the programme aims to financially empower women associated with self-help groups by providing them with skills, affordable credit and market linkages. He noted that over two crore women have already benefited from the initiative, becoming self-reliant and encouraging others to follow suit.
He also said that special emphasis would be placed on rural development through improved road connectivity, electricity supply, drinking water facilities, digital infrastructure and better access to markets. According to him, these measures are expected to support rural growth and improve living standards in villages.
Chouhan added that schemes such as ‘Viksit Bharat – G Ram G’ would focus on expanding employment opportunities, promoting rural entrepreneurship and enabling villagers to actively participate in the development process.
Expressing confidence in collective efforts, the Union Minister said the coming year would further strengthen rural India and help advance the goal of a self-reliant and developed nation.
