Modi's first 'Mann ki Baat' of 2016: PM urges farmers to join crop insurance scheme

New Delhi: In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, he also pitched for continued efforts to popularise Khadi and awarness to save girl child, mentioned about the recently launched ‘Start-Up India’ programme and talked about the upcoming International Fleet Review to be held in Visakhapatnam. Khadi can provide employment to crores of people in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his first “Mann Ki Baat” address of 2016. “Khadi has the power to provide employment to crores of people. It has now become a symbol and a centre of interest of the nation’s youth,” Modi said. “Sardar Patel said India’s independence is in Khadi, India’s civilization represents Khadi, farmers’ welfare is in Khadi,” he added. According to an article on NDTV, Narendra Modi said that to fulfill demand for Khadi, additional jobs of 18 lakh man days will be generated. Daily Excelsior reported that Modi also called for technological up-gradation of the industry and noted (appreciatively) that the solar energy was now being used to power the loom. [caption id=“attachment_2605358” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi. Reuters[/caption] In his radio address, Modi also appealed to people to observe two minutes silence on the 30th of January each year to pay tributes to the martyrs of the nation. “If the entire nation observes silence every 30 January 11 am, you can imagine the energy that a single moment will generate. It should be made a practice,” Modi said. Highlighting benefits of the just-announced Crop Insurance Scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said awareness about it should be spread across the country so that at least 50 per cent of the farmers join it within two years. Modi said he needs the “maximum help” from people about spreading awareness regarding the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme which was launched earlier this month. “In our country, a lot is said in the name of farmers. I don’t want to get involved in that debate. But farmers face a major crisis. In natural calamity, their entire effort goes waste. His one year goes waste. To give him security, only one thing comes to mind and that is crop insurance,” he said in this year’s first edition of the monthly radio programme. “In (the New Year) 2016, the central government has given a big gift to the farmers — Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme. This scheme has been brought not for the purpose that it should be praised or the Prime Minister should be hailed,” he said. The Prime Minister said that for so many years, there has been a talk regarding crop insurance but “not more than 20-25 per cent” of the country’s farmers had been been able to benefit from such schemes. “Can we take a pledge that we should connect at least 50 per cent of the farmers to this scheme in two years? I need this help from you. Because if a farmer joins the scheme, he will get huge help during a natural calamity,” he said. Modi said this time, the scheme has got “wide acceptability because it has been made quite extensive and easy and involves use of technology. Not only this. If something happens to the crop within 15 days after harvest, even then help is assured.” Usage of technology will ensure speedy assessment and disbursement of compensation, he said. “The biggest thing is that the rate of premium has been kept so low which nobody would have imagined. The rate of premium for Kharif crop has been kept 2 per cent while for Rabi crop it is one-and-a-half per cent. “Now tell me, if any farmer is deprived of the benefits of this scheme, will he not suffer loss? I want the awareness about this scheme to spread,” he said. with agency inputs