Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on June 18 for the first time after assuming office for a third consecutive term, during which he will release the 17th installment of PM-KISAN scheme amounting to over Rs 20,000 crore for 9.26 crore beneficiary farmers across the country.

Modi will also confer certificates to more than 30,000 members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) who have been trained as 'Krishi Sakhis' to work as para-extension workers, supporting fellow farmers with agricultural practices.

Briefing the media, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted the government's commitment to the agriculture sector.

"Agriculture has always been a priority for the PM in his last two tenures. He took several key decisions in the interest of farmers. After taking oath as PM, Modi ji first signed a file related to the release of the 17th installment of the PM-KISAN scheme," Chouhan said.

Launched in 2019, PM-KISAN is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative under which beneficiary farmers receive an annual sum of Rs 6,000 in three equal installments to supplement their financial needs.

Chouhan noted that the Centre has disbursed over Rs 3.04 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers across the country since the scheme's inception.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and various state ministers are expected to attend the event in Varanasi.

The agriculture minister also shed light on the Krishi Sakhi scheme, a collaborative effort with the rural development ministry.

The scheme aims to train 90,000 women from SHGs as para-extension agriculture workers to assist the farming community and generate additional income.

So far, over 34,000 Krishi Sakhis out of the targeted 70,000 have been certified as para-extension workers across 12 states namely Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Meghalaya.

The government is preparing a 100-day plan for the agriculture sector, emphasizing its commitment to the welfare of farmers and the overall development of the agricultural landscape in the country.

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