Lucknow, June 26: The Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has submitted a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approving the construction of 618,482 permanent homes for the rural poor under the new phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. Alongside this, the duration for purchasing rabi crops at minimum support price (MSP) has also been extended.
Chouhan explained that this approval is part of the new phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, which spans from 2024-25 to 2028-29. The central government aims to construct an additional two million permanent homes across the country.
He stated that Uttar Pradesh has been allocated 618,482 homes, paving the way for millions of rural poor families to receive permanent housing in a phased manner.
The central minister noted that a survey of rural families in Uttar Pradesh has been completed, identifying eligible poor families living in temporary housing.
He emphasized that in the next phase, homes will be provided to these eligible families on a priority basis under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, accelerating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Housing for All’ mission.
Chouhan assured full financial and technical support from the central government, stressing the importance of timely construction, quality control, and ensuring all eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of the scheme.
In a significant relief for farmers, the central minister also handed over a letter to the Chief Minister approving the extension of the MSP purchase period for rabi crops.
In response to the Uttar Pradesh government’s request and with farmers’ interests in mind, the MSP purchase for wheat, gram, and lentils will now continue until July 8, 2026.
He stated that this decision was made to ensure no farmer is deprived of selling their produce at MSP due to weather conditions, crowding in markets, delays in weighing, and other practical issues.
Chouhan mentioned that this decision will benefit millions of wheat, gram, and lentil-producing farmers in the state, relieving them from the compulsion to sell their crops at prices below MSP.
He highlighted Uttar Pradesh as the leading agricultural state in the country, contributing approximately 38 percent of the total wheat production in India. Chouhan noted that climate change, rising temperatures, and declining groundwater levels pose serious challenges to farming.
He revealed that a scientific agricultural roadmap is being prepared for Uttar Pradesh, which will include crop rotation, irrigation, water conservation, seeds, technology, and marketing strategies.
Discussions on this roadmap have been held with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, and their teams. The central and state governments will finalize this roadmap together.
The central minister pointed out that this year, signs of El Niño have been observed, and rainfall has been below normal so far, with further reductions expected.
He reiterated that the central government’s priority is to ensure that fields remain productive, farmers’ incomes are secured, and the country’s food security is not compromised.
In light of this, a district-wise contingency plan will be developed, promoting short-duration and low-water crops.
A list of alternative crops will be prepared based on local water availability, soil conditions, and existing crop patterns.
Additionally, special arrangements will be made to provide timely advice, seeds, and technical guidance to farmers through agricultural science centers, state agricultural departments, and local administrations.
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