Medak: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the vocal for local slogan inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement. India will emerge as the third biggest economy in the world by overcoming Japan and Germany soon, he said, adding interest in foreign goods would adversely affect the country.
Speaking at the natural and organic farmers’ summit -2024, organised by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, at Tuniki village in Medak district on Wednesday, Dhankar said, “I firmly believe that we have not been able to give as much attention to agriculture and agricultural development as we should have. Some changes have come in the ICAR, but look at their budget.’’
Calling for a self audit of Indian Council of Agricultural Research Institution (ICAR), the VP said that not enough attention had been paid to agriculture and agricultural development. There are thousands of scientists, close to 5,000 and around 25,000 people who are employed by these institutions, he said. The budget exceeds Rs 8,000 crore. We are conducting research for whom? Whose life are we trying to change? Is there any change happening in their lives, Dhankhar questioned.
“Developed India 2047 is no longer a dream; it is a goal. In this goal, in this sacrifice, the most important contribution is from the rural system and farmers. Our challenge is that per capita income should increase eightfold, and only then will the goal of a developed India be achieved,’’ he said.
Former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated agriculture development, he said. Indian Council of Agriculture Research, its more than 150 institutes, several universities and about 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras will get fully involved to ensure that silver jubilee of Kisan Diwas next year turns out to be farmer-centric, rural-centric making contributions in practical terms,” he added.
Talking about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and fertiliser subsidy, Dhankhar stated, “Krishi Vigyan Kendras should come up with a formula so that this subsidy reaches the farmers directly because technically India has set a benchmark globally.
He said, “There are some people in the world and within India who cannot digest our progress. Underhanded tactics are being employed. I see around me a sinister convergence of forces inimical to the progress of Bharat, and their approach is quite strange. It is the duty of every Indian to have unwavering faith in nationalism. Nation first, my country first. Let us act with this spirit, he said.
Dialogue is the only way to find solutions to problems in democracy and the Prime Minister has stated on the global stage that the world's burning issues and the conflagrations can be resolved through dialogue,” he said. Impressed by the organic farming by farmers in Medak district, Dhankar said that he would soon host the farmers in New Delhi for three days.
Governor Jishnu Dev Verma, minister Konda Surekha and others were present at the event.
