New Delhi, 13 July (H.S.):

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be on a two-day visit to West Bengal on July 13 and 14. During the visit, he will hold key discussions on agriculture and rural development with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and interact directly with jute farmers and women associated with self-help groups.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan will arrive in Kolkata on the evening of July 13 and proceed directly to the Chief Minister's residence. A dinner meeting is scheduled, during which the Centre and the state leadership will discuss issues related to agriculture, farmers' welfare schemes, rural roads, housing and employment.

On July 14, a high-level meeting will be held at the New Secretariat Building in Kolkata. The meeting will be attended by the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, senior officials of the concerned departments, and senior officials from the Central Government, along with Chouhan.

Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the Ministry of Rural Development, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will participate in detailed discussions on the future roadmap for the PM-Kisan scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Dhan Dhanya Yojana, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism, the Viksit Bharat–GRJ initiative, rural roads, rural housing, and funding for panchayats.

Later in the afternoon, Chouhan will visit the ICAR–Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (ICAR-CRIJAF) at Barrackpore. Jute farmers and women from self-help groups will participate in the programme.

Scientists at the institute will brief the Union Minister on improved jute varieties, modern retting techniques, water conservation practices, and simplified technologies for processing and marketing. Women associated with self-help groups will also be guided on developing jute-based products and establishing small enterprises through value addition, with the objective of enhancing rural income and creating employment opportunities in villages.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar