Tripura farmers' monthly income doubles to Rs 13,590, says CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on June 26 claimed that the average monthly income of farmers in the state has more than doubled over the past decade, rising from Rs 6,580 in 2015-16 to Rs 13,590 at present, attributing the increase to a series of government initiatives aimed at improving farmers' welfare.

Addressing a programme at Bamutia in West Tripura district, Saha said the government has taken proactive measures to strengthen the agricultural sector and improve the socio-economic condition of farmers.

"A farmer's income in Tripura has doubled from Rs 6,580 in 2015-16 to Rs 13,590 at present due to several measures taken by our government," he said.

Highlighting the state's agricultural output, the chief minister said Tripura produces around 12 lakh tonnes of rice, 364 tonnes of wheat and over 17,000 tonnes of pulses annually.

He said the government has introduced direct procurement of paddy from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 23.69 per kg, eliminating the role of middlemen in the procurement process.

According to Saha, since 2018, the state government has procured 2,61,227 tonnes of paddy from 2,35,356 farmers, disbursing Rs 529.81 crore.

Referring to the Centre's welfare initiatives, the chief minister said criticism had accompanied the launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana but added that the scheme now enables direct benefit transfers to farmers and economically weaker sections.

He said 2.13 lakh farmers in Tripura received Rs 46.35 crore under the latest instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, released on June 20.

Saha urged farmers to register with the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department and obtain unique farmer identity cards to avail benefits under various government schemes.

"So far, only 64,074 farmers have registered their names and obtained unique identity cards. I appeal to all farmers to complete the registration process to access the benefits of various welfare schemes," he said.

The chief minister also directed officials to intensify awareness campaigns across the state to ensure that farmers are informed about the welfare programmes available to them.