India will fight COVID-19 with full caution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the country will fight the COVID-19 pandemic with full caution and vigilance and will also fulfill its national interests.

Speaking at the release of the 10th installment of financial benefit under PM-KISAN, the Prime Minister said that the country must accelerate its pace in 2022.

"Corona has its challenges, but Corona cannot stop India's pace. India will also fight Corona with full caution and vigilance and will also fulfill its national interests," he said.

He also lauded India's achievement in providing over 145 crore doses of COVID vaccine.

The Prime Minister said during the pandemic, additional food grains for free were provided to over 80 crore beneficiaries, which cost about Rs 2.6 lakh crore to the central exchequer.

PM Modi also urged farmers to adopt natural farming. "One big way to save our earth from becoming barren is chemical-free farming. Therefore, in the last year, the country has launched yet another visionary effort- Natural Farming. I urge my farmer friends to switch to chemical-free farming. Today, as we enter 2022, this is the year to indulge ourselves in new challenges," he said.

He further said that efforts have also been started for farmers to get money from crop residues, stubble, etc.

"Efforts have also been started for farmers to get money from crop residues, stubble, etc. Hundreds of new units are being set up across the country to make biofuel from agricultural residues," he said.

PM Modi said over Rs 1.8 lakh crore has been transferred directly to accounts of farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme. Today, this Samman Nidhi is very useful for their small expenses, he added.

During the event, the Prime Minister also released an equity grant of more than Rs 14 crores to about 351 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), which will benefit more than 1.24 lakh farmers.

As per an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office, this is in line with the government's continued commitment and resolve to empower grassroots-level farmers.

This will enable the transfer of an amount of more than Rs 20,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families, said PMO.

Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to the eligible beneficiary farmer families, payable in three equal four-monthly installments of Rs 2,000 each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In this scheme, Samman Rashi of over Rs 1.6 lakh crore has been transferred to farmer families so far.