Bihar Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurates 50 000 tonne silo warehouse for grains

Khagaria (Bihar), Jun 23 (PTI) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday inaugurated a grain silo warehouse having a storage capacity of 50,000 tonnes in Bihar’s Khagaria district.
    It is part of the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) broader vision to ensure food security, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance operational efficiency through mechanised, bulk grain handling, he said.
    Silo warehouses are popular these days for being able to store grains for a longer time.
    Speaking at the programme, Joshi, who holds the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, said the new silo warehouses would significantly boost the region’s agri-logistics ecosystem.
    "It is a significant step towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of modernising India’s agricultural infrastructure and doubling farmers’ income. Bihar, with its immense potential, stands at the forefront of this transformation. We remain committed to empowering its farmers and strengthening the rural economy," he added.
    Joshi also spoke about other central schemes aimed at farmer welfare, including the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which allows households to generate solar power and sell the surplus to state DISCOMs. He noted that the government provides a subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 under this scheme.
    He also referred to the PM-KUSUM scheme, under which farmers can use solar-powered systems for daytime irrigation, thereby promoting sustainable farming practices.
    "Around 26 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, and this is not a report by the government of India, but stated in a World Bank report, further supported by reports from the IMF and NITI Aayog. Under the dynamic leadership of our PM, more than 80 crore people are receiving free ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which is more than the entire population of the European Union", he said.
    Slogans to eradicate poverty were first raised by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, followed by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and later Rahul Gandhi.
    "Unfortunately, they remained mere slogans with no significant results during their tenures. Today, I can proudly say that under the visionary leadership of Modi, the extreme poverty rate has declined from 21 per cent to just 5 per cent", he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)