Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone and inaugurated a number of development projects totaling more than Rs 27 billion in Belagavi, Karnataka. Under PM-KISAN, he released the 13th instalment, totaling approximately Rs. 160 billion.. The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building. He also laid the groundwork for six Jal Jeevan Mission multi-village scheme projects. The Prime Minister told the gathering that the incomparable love and blessings of the people of Belagavi inspire the government to work for the welfare of the people and become a source of strength. “Coming to Belgavi is no less than a pilgrimage”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted that it is the land of Queen Chennamma of Kittur and revolutionary Krantiveer Sangolli Rayanna who are remembered even today for raising their voice against the colonial rule. The Prime Minister emphasised Belagavi's contributions and stated that it has a place in the fight for today and India's reemergence. In an analogy to Karnataka's startup culture, the Prime Minister stated that Belagavi was once home to startups and cited the example of Baburao Pusalkar, who established a unit that turned Belagavi into a base for various industries. The Prime Minister emphasised that the double-engine government intends to strengthen Belagavi's role in the coming decade. The Prime Minister stated that the projects whose foundation stones have been laid and those that have been inaugurated will bring new energy and pace to the development of Belagavi. He congratulated the people of this region on projects worth hundreds of crores related to connectivity and water supply. The Prime Minister announced through Belagavi that every farmer in the country has received a special gift in the form of another tranche of funds from PM-KISAN. “Just by the click of a button, Rs 160 billion have been transferred to the bank accounts of crores of farmers in the country”, the Prime Minister remarked. He said that such a huge amount transferred without the involvement of a middleman has also drawn the attention of people from across the world. Drawing comparisons to the Congress regime, the Prime Minister recalled that the then Prime Minister said that only 15 paise reaches the poor when 1 rupee is transferred. “But this is Modi ki Sarkar”, the Prime Minister interjected, “Every penny belongs to you and it is for you.” The Prime Minister also wished a very prosperous Holi to all the farmers of India and said that they have received a special gift before Holi. The Prime Minister stated that in today's changing India, development projects are being completed one after the other while giving priority to the poor, and that small farmers are a priority for the current government. He stated that 2.5 lakh crore rupees have been deposited in the accounts of small farmers through PM KISAN Samman Nidhi, with over 50 thousand crores deposited in the accounts of women farmers. According to the Prime Minister, this money is being used to meet the farmers' small but critical needs. The Prime Minister reiterated that the country's agricultural budget, which was 25,000 crores prior to 2014, has now been increased to Rs 1250 billion, a five-fold increase. He stated that it demonstrates the BJP government's commitment to assisting the country's farmers. The Prime Minister emphasised the use of technology that directly benefits farmers, citing Jan Dhan bank accounts, mobile connections, and Aadhar. He emphasised that the government is connecting farmers to Kisan Credit Cards with the goal of allowing farmers to access bank assistance at any time. The Prime Minister emphasised that this year's Budget addresses both current and future agricultural needs. He stated that today's need is for storage and lowering farming costs, as well as organising small farmers. That is why the emphasis in this Budget is on storage facilities and cooperatives. Similarly, focusing on natural farming will lower the farmer's costs. He claims that measures such as the PM PRANAM scheme will further reduce fertiliser costs. “The Government is focussed on strengthening the agricultural sector of India while analyzing the challenges of the future”, the Prime Minister remarked. Highlighting the challenge of climate change, the Prime Minister stressed reviving the traditional strength of coarse grains or millets and informed that these food grains have the capability to withstand any climate. In reference to this year's budget, the Prime Minister stated that coarse grains now have a new identity as Shri Anna. He went on to say that Karnataka was the main centre of millets, where Shri Anna was popularly known as Shri Dhanya, and that different types of Shri Anna are cultivated by the region's farmers. The Prime Minister recalled the significant campaign launched by the then-BS Yeddyurappa government to promote Shri Anna and stated that it is now our responsibility to present it to the world. When describing the benefits of Shri Anna, the Prime Minister stated that it requires less effort and less water while doubling the benefits for farmers. Given that Karnataka is a significant sugarcane state, the Prime Minister spoke extensively about the needs of sugarcane farmers. He cited a provision in this year's budget that will save the sugar cooperative $10 billion by granting a tax rebate on cooperative sugarcane payments made before 2016–17. The Prime Minister stated that ethanol production is assisting in raising the income of sugarcane farmers when discussing the government's push for ethanol blending. He stated that in the past nine years, ethanol blends in gasoline have gone from 5% to 10%, and the government has set a target of 20% ethanol blends in gasoline. The Prime Minister remarked that agriculture, industry, tourism and education are strengthened only with better connectivity. He informed that in the five years prior to 2014, the total budget of the Railways in Karnataka was Rs 40 billion whereas this year, Rs 75 billion have been allocated for the railways in Karnataka. He also referred to the newly inaugurated modern railway station in Belagavi and said that it is not just the facilities that get a boost but the faith in the railways is also increasing. “Many stations in Karnataka are being brought to the fore in such a modern avatar”, he said. The Prime Minister mentioned that the doubling of the Londa-Ghatprabha line will make the journey faster and safer. Noting that Belagavi is an important hub for education, tourism and healthcare, the Prime Minister said that the improved railway connectivity will give a boost to these sectors. “The double-engine government is a guarantee for fast-paced development”, the Prime Minister said. Giving the example of Jal Jeevan Mission, the Prime Minister informed that only 25 percent of households in Karnataka’s villages had piped water connections before 2019 whereas the coverage has expanded to 60 percent today. In Belagavi too, the Prime Minister said that less than 2 lakh houses used to get tap water but this number has crossed 4.5 lakhs today. He said that Rs 600 billion have been allocated in this budget for this. “The government is engaged in empowering every small section of the society which was neglected by the previous governments”, the Prime Minister remarked. Noting that Belagavi has been a city of artisans and handicrafts men famous as Venugram i.e. bamboo village, the Prime Minister recalled how previous governments had banned the harvesting of bamboo for a long time but it is the present government that reformed the law and opened the way for bamboo cultivation and trade. He also touched upon the PM Vishwakarma Yojana that was introduced for the first time in this year's budget to support artisans and handicrafts men. The Prime Minister pointed out the Congress government’s abomination for Karnataka where disrespecting the leaders of Karnataka became a tradition. “History is proof of how leaders like S Nijalingappa and Virendra Patil ji were insulted before the Congress family”, the Prime Minister remarked. Speaking about his adoration and respect for Mallikarjun Kharge ji and his devotion to public service, the Prime Minister expressed sadness at how the most senior member was not even considered worthy of being given an umbrella in the scorching sun at a Congress function in Chhattisgarh. “Kharge ji is the Congress President, but the entire world knows who holds the remote control by the way he is treated”, the Prime Minister interjected. Shri Modi pointed out that many political parties in the country are plagued by ‘parivarvaad’ (nepotism) and stressed the need to free the country from its clutches. He also warned the people of Karnataka to stay alert from parties like Congress. Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said, “True development takes place when work is carried out with true intentions.” He highlighted the true intentions of the double-engine government and its commitment to development. “To speed up the development of Karnataka and the country, we have to move ahead with Sabka Prayas”, the Prime Minister concluded. Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basvaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ms Shobha Karandlaje and Ministers from Government of Karnataka were present on the occasion among others. Background In a step that will showcase yet another example of the commitment of the Prime Minister towards the welfare of farmers, the 13th installment amount of about Rs. 16,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) was released through direct benefits transfer to more than 8 crore beneficiaries. Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided with a benefit of Rs. 6000 per year in three equal installments of Rs. 2000 each. During the Programme, the Prime Minister dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building to the nation. This Railway Station is being redeveloped at a cost of approximately Rs 1.9 billion to provide world-class amenities to passengers. The rail line doubling project between Londa-Belagavi-Ghataprabha section at Belagavi is another railway project that the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation. This project, which will cost approximately Rs 9.3 billion, will increase line capacity along the busy Mumbai-Pune-Hubballi-Bengaluru railway line, thereby promoting trade, commerce, and economic activities in the region. In Belagavi, the Prime Minister also broke ground on six multi-village scheme projects funded by the Jal Jeevan Mission that will be built at a total cost of about Rs 15.85 billion and benefit 8.8 lakh people living in more than 315 villages. See also: 44 Smart City projects inaugurated by PM Modi in Shivamogga MoRTH lays foundation stone of NH projects worth Rs 39.72 bn