PM Modi Reaches Prayagraj, Distributes Assistive Aids To Senior Citizens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached Uttar Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for the 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said on Friday that to mark one year of the PM-Kisan scheme, Modi will also launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations all over the country at Chitrakoot on Saturday. Nearly 86 per cent of farmers are small and marginal with average land holdings in the country being less than 1.1 hectare.

"These small, marginal and landless farmers face tremendous challenges during agriculture production phase such as for access to technology, quality seed, fertilisers and pesticides including requisite finances. They also face tremendous challenges in marketing their produce due to lack of economic strength," the statement pointed out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributes assistive aids&devices to senior citizens & the differently-abled, at a distribution camp in Prayagraj. pic.twitter.com/rbX2VHEtzB

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 29, 2020

Tweeting about his events in Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi wrote: "There will be programmes in Prayagraj and Chitrakoot which would focus on empowerment of divyangjan (people with disabilities), infrastructure, farmer welfare and more."

He said he is delighted to be laying the foundation stone of the Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot.

"This expressway will be the harbinger of progress for youngsters in the region and will also help the Defence Corridor coming up in the state... Next-gen infrastructure for a better tomorrow," Modi said in a series of tweets.

The prime minister will also be launching a saturation drive for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to all the beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN Scheme at the event.

Over 6.5 crore of the approximately 8.5 crore beneficiaries under PM-KISAN Scheme possess Kisan Credit Cards.

The saturation drive will ensure that the remaining about 2 crore PM-KISAN beneficiaries are also distributed KCCs the statement said.

A 15-day special drive has been launched from February 12 to 26 to provide access to concessional institutional credit to all the PM-KISAN beneficiaries wherein a simple one page form has to be filled with the basic data including bank account number, land record details and a simple declaration that he is presently not a beneficiary of KCC from any other bank branch.

All the PM-KISAN beneficiaries whose applications are received till 26 February will be called to the respective bank branches on Saturday for handing over KCCs.

(With PTI Inputs)