Mumbai, July 27 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that Maharashtra’s agriculture sector has received a boost after the Centre approved the second instalment of Rs 335 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY). This has made Maharashtra the first state to qualify for it.
In his post on X, CM Fadnavis expressed gratitude to Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for approving the instalment. He noted that Chouhan appreciated Maharashtra’s effective utilisation of PM-RKVY funds and commended the state’s performance under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and generating farmer IDs.
Fadnavis said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra continues to work actively towards enhancing farmer welfare and remains committed to improving performance across various indicators.
Maharashtra Minister of Agriculture Dattatray Bharane, who attended the virtual meeting chaired by Minister Chouhan, said the Union Minister commended Maharashtra for its effective implementation of key agricultural schemes. He highlighted that the state successfully utilised over 75 per cent of the allocated funds under PM-RKVY.
Furthermore, Maharashtra ranked among the top-performing states in the nation under MIDH, achieving an expenditure rate of 81.73 per cent.
Acknowledging the state’s performance, the Centre approved Rs 335 crore. Paired with Maharashtra’s matching 40 per cent state contribution of Rs 223 crore, a total fund of Rs 558 crore is now available for agricultural development across the state, said Minister Bharane.
He added that these funds will be deployed across several crucial sectors, including micro-irrigation and water-efficiency projects, farm mechanisation and modern equipment distribution, organic farming initiatives, soil health management, and effective execution of various key projects under RKVY. The meeting also reviewed progress in the digital agriculture sector.
Minister Chouhan instructed officials to accelerate fund spending in digital initiatives to bring modern technology to farmers more rapidly. He emphasised that the Union Government’s goal goes beyond allocating funds, it ensures every rupee is spent effectively to maximise benefits for farmers, said Minister Bharane.
“The Maharashtra government remains committed to making agriculture modern, technology-driven and robust in cooperation with the Centre,” stated Minister Bharane, reaffirming the state’s resolve to deliver scheme benefits directly to every farmer.
He further said, “On the lines of Madhya Pradesh, we have requested the Central Government to allocate Rs 377 crore over three years under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission to boost fruit and vegetable production for the upcoming 2027 Nashik Kumbh Mela. Additionally, we have requested an extra allocation of Rs 500 crore for farm mechanisation schemes to accelerate modern and horticultural farming in the state.”
–IANS
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