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New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi on August 29, 2020, inaugurated the College  and Administration Buildings of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, UP, through video conferencing. He interacted with the students of the University. The PM congratulated everyone and expressed hope that students after graduating from this university will actively contribute in empowering the country’s agriculture sector. He hoped that new facilities provided due to the new building would encourage and motivate students to work harder.

Invoking Rani Lakshmi Bai’s quote that “I will not give my Jhansi”, the PM urged the people of Jhansi and Bundelkhand to make Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan a success.

The PM noted that Agriculture has a major role to play in Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. He said self reliance in Agriculture targets at making the farmers both- producer as well as entrepreneur. Just like other industries, now the farmers can also sell their produce anywhere in the country, wherever they fetch better prices. He said a special dedicated fund of Rs 1 lakh crore has been set up for providing better facilities and promoting industries in a cluster based approach, according to a PIB release.

Stating that steady efforts are continuing to connect farming with modern technology, the Prime Minister noted that research institutions and Agricultural Universities have a vital role to play. He said now there are three Central Agricultural Universities in the country compared to just one Central University 6 years ago. Besides this, three more National Institutions viz. IARI Jharkhand,  IARI Assam and Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Integrated Farming in Motihari, Bihar, are also being established. 

Speaking about use of modern technology in meeting agriculture related challenges, the Prime Minister gave an example of recent locust attack. He said the Government worked on war footing to control the spread of the attacks and to reduce the damage. He mentioned that dozens of control rooms were set up in several cities, arrangements were made to alert farmers in advance, drones to spray, dozens of modern spray machines used to kill locusts were procured and provided to the farmers.

Stressing on the need to take knowledge related to agriculture and its practical application to school level, the Prime Minister said efforts are on to introduce the Agriculture subject at Middle school level in villages. It will have two benefits- One, it will develop agriculture related understanding in the students and secondly, it will enable the students to give information about agriculture, its modern farming techniques and marketing, to their family members. This will promote Agro-entrepreneurship in the country, he added.

Talking about the steps taken to minimise the problems faced by the people during the coronavirus pandemic, the PM said free rations are being provided to crores of poor and rural families in Uttar Pradesh.  Around 10 lakh poor women in Bundelkhand have been given free gas cylinders during this period. The Prime Minister said, as promised earlier,  around 500 water related projects worth more than Rs 10,000 crore have been approved for this area. Out of this, work on Projects worth Rs 3000 crore have commenced  in the last two months .

The PM said in spite of Bundelkhand being surrounded by Rivers Betwa, Ken and Yamuna, the entire area does not get the full benefit of the rivers. He said the Government is making steady efforts to change this situation. He said that Ken-Betwa River Link Project has the potential to change the fate of the region and said the central government is working with the state governments in this direction. He expressed confidence that once Bundelkhand gets enough water, life here will change completely..