Union Home Minister Amit Shah has hailed the announcement of the Finance Ministry ramping up the agricultural and fisheries infrastructure, saying the unprecedented economic package will "open up new doors."
"The Modi government believes that India's welfare lies in the welfare of farmers. This unprecedented assistance given to farmers today shows Modi's foresight to make the country self-sufficient by empowering farmers," said Shah.
Citing examples of Modi government purchasing crops worth Rs 74,300 crore at MSP and crop insurance scheme worth Rs 6,400 cr during the lockdown, Shah said the Centre has shown "sensitivity in odd circumstances".
Referring to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's cluster-based approach with a decision of Rs 10,000 crore for Micro Food Enterprises, Shah said it will provide an "unprecedented force" to the people associated with small enterprises involving mango, saffron, chilli and bamboo in various fields.
The Centre today also allocated Rs 20,000 cr for fishermen through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). This was part of the government economic package to help rejuvenate India's economy. An amount of Rs 11,000-crore out of Rs 20,000 crore is kept for activities in marine, inland fisheries and aquaculture.
Meanwhile, the rest Rs 9,000 cr is for creating infrastructure like fishing harbors, cold chains and markets. Shah said this "will provide new strength to the infrastructure, modernization, productivity and quality of the sector and also generate new jobs".
( With inputs from IANS )