Cabinet Clears ‘Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’ Covering 100 Districts To Improve Agriculture Productivity

New Delhi, Jul 17 (KNN) The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’ for implementation over six years, commencing with the 2025-26 financial year. 

The scheme will cover 100 districts across the country and represents the first initiative of its kind to focus exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors, drawing inspiration fr0m NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme.

The initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, promote crop diversification and sustainable farming practices, strengthen post-harvest storage infrastructure at panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities, and facilitate access to both long-term and short-term agricultural credit.

The scheme fulfils the Budget announcement for 2025-26 regarding the development of 100 districts under this agricultural transformation program.

Implementation will be conducted through the convergence of 36 existing schemes spanning 11 government departments, complemented by state-level schemes and private sector partnerships.

The selection of 100 districts will be based on three primary indicators: low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity, and reduced credit disbursement.

District allocation across states and union territories will be determined by their share of net cropped area and operational holdings, with a minimum of one district guaranteed for each state.

The scheme establishes a three-tier governance structure with committees at national, state, and district levels to ensure effective planning, implementation, and monitoring.

District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plans will be developed by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will include progressive farmers as members. 

These district-level plans will align with national objectives including crop diversification, water and soil health conservation, agricultural self-sufficiency, and expansion of natural and organic farming practices.

Progress monitoring will be conducted through 117 key performance indicators tracked via a monthly dashboard system. NITI Aayog will provide review and guidance for district plans, while Central Nodal Officers assigned to each district will conduct regular scheme assessments.

The comprehensive monitoring framework aims to ensure accountability and measure the scheme's effectiveness in achieving its stated objectives.

Officials expect that improvements in the targeted 100 districts will contribute to raising the overall national average across key performance indicators.

The scheme is projected to result in increased productivity, enhanced value addition in agriculture and allied sectors, local livelihood generation, and greater domestic production capacity, supporting the broader goal of achieving self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

(KNN Bureau)