Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will administer a pledge to officials of both ministries at the Pusa campus in New Delhi on August 18, following the 'Sapt Dhara of Shakti' outlined by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on August 15. The program will focus on creating a clear and actionable roadmap for agriculture and rural development towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, with participation from progressive farmers, Lakhpati Didis, agricultural exporters, and food processors.
The meeting will review departmental roadmaps and work to accelerate their implementation through people-centric programs, transparent monitoring, and effective implementation. Minister Chouhan emphasized that the government aims to ensure farmers and rural women benefit directly from these efforts. The Lakhpati Didi program of the Ministry of Rural Development will be a key focus, with three crore rural women already becoming Lakhpati Didis and a new target set by PM Modi to expand this to six crore women.
The government will discuss implementation roadmap for expanding the Lakhpati Didi program, supporting women associated with Self-Help Groups through skill development and financial assistance to strengthen livelihoods and increase incomes. Initiatives such as She-Marts included in the Union Budget will be leveraged to strengthen market access for women-led enterprises, helping them find better markets for products including those linked to yoga, Ayurveda, handicrafts, and other rural enterprises for wider domestic and global markets.
The 'Sapt Dhara of Shakti' outlined by PM Modi includes strengthening agriculture and food production, promoting food processing, and expanding access to global markets as important priorities. The government remains committed to providing fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices amid global crises and uncertainties, while creating new global markets and opportunities for farmers particularly in agriculture and marine products including seafood. The focus on self-reliance forms an important part of the agenda, with long-term measures undertaken over the past decade to ensure India remains secure and self-reliant in essential requirements such as fertilizers and fuel.