Shivraj Singh Chouhan assumes charge as Union Agriculture Minister

New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): Shivraj Singh Chouhan assumed charge as Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Tuesday.

The Ministry staff presented Chouhan with a bouquet after he took charge.

Chouhan highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his day in office by authorising the release of the 17th installment of PM Kisan Nidhi, which will benefit 9.3 crore farmers and distribute around Rs 20,000 crore.

“I am happy to say that the first decision taken by the Prime Minister yesterday was in the interest of the farmers. He decided to issue Kisan Samman Nidhi. Now,the NDA government will take these works forward more rapidly under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has resolved to double the income of farmers, work is going on continuously for that,” Chouhan said.

“We will all work together even faster on that and take every possible step for the welfare of farmers. Today itself, I am going to hand over the Sankalp Patra to officials,” the Union Minister said.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan performed puja ahead of taking charge.

Chouhan has been allocated the Ministry of Rural Development, apart from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Narendra Singh Tomar, who was Agriculture Minister in the previous NDA government had resigned in December last year, coinciding with the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls. Following Tomar’s resignation, the charge of the ministry was given to the then Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda.

Chouhan has vast administrative experience and was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2005 until the 2023 state assembly elections, except for 15 months when the Congress came to power after the 2018 assembly polls.

Chouhan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. He is a six-time MP.