The North News
New Delhi, October 17
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed senior officials to fast-track the rollout of two major initiatives — the ‘Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission’ and the ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’. At a high-level meeting in New Delhi, Chouhan instructed officials to ensure both schemes are implemented on a strict timeline. He also announced plans to convene a meeting with ministers from 11 ministries to coordinate the implementation of the Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.
The pulses mission will be rolled out through district-level clusters with state governments expected to play a key role in their formation. Chouhan also emphasised the need for effective execution of the Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana at the grassroots level to deliver tangible benefits to farmers.
Launched earlier this month by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana seeks to accelerate agricultural development in 100 aspirational districts. It integrates 36 sub-schemes across 11 ministries, with the support of NITI Aayog.
The Cabinet had approved the scheme on 16 July 2025, with an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore over six years. The pulses mission will run over the same period with an outlay of ₹11,440 crore, aiming to expand the area under pulses cultivation from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares and boost production from 242 to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030–31.
Officials have been instructed to meet state-level nodal officers to ensure timely and coordinated execution of the mission, which is also expected to create significant employment opportunities in rural areas.
