Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri attended a programme at which the Prime Minister released the 19th installment of PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi at Bhagalpur, Bihar. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister joined the programme virtually from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, along with several farmers and dignitaries.
Addressing the farmers and other members of the audience at Guru Nanak Dev University, the Union Minister said that farmers' welfare is the top priority of the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Farmers are the backbone of our economy. They are the caretakers of our land and the custodians of our food security." The Minister said that farmers have now become energy producers and that the government is striving to increase ethanol blending across the country for their benefit.
"Our farmers have now become Energy Producers. The total ethanol blending earlier was 1.5%, but now it has reached 19.6%, following which the farmers have been paid more than 90,000 crore rupees. The Union Government is continuously striving to increase ethanol blending across the country, which will ultimately benefit the farmers."
He added that in the last three years, prices of petrol and diesel have come down. After his address, the Union Minister also felicitated farmers, while acknowledging their contribution to the economy.