₹9,610 Crore Aid Paid to 33 Lakh Rain-Hit Farmers, Says Gujarat Governor

The Gujarat government has disbursed Rs 9,610 crore to more than 33 lakh farmers affected by unseasonal rains last year, Governor Acharya Devvrat said on Monday. Speaking on the first day of the state assembly’s budget session, he highlighted the government’s efforts to make administration technology-driven and its initiatives in the agriculture sector.

Under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme , more than Rs 22,000 crore was directly deposited into the accounts of over 69 lakh farmer families in the state. “The special relief package announced for cultivators who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains was disbursed to more than 33 lakh affected farmers,” Devvrat said.

The governor also underscored Gujarat’s efforts to promote natural farming . The state has set up the Gujarat Natural Farming Development Board and the world’s first Natural Farming University . Over 19 lakh farmers have received training, and more than 8 lakh have adopted chemical-free farming. A total of 7,100 model farms have been established, and Dang district has been declared completely chemical-free.

Devvrat highlighted technology-driven governance , including the chief minister’s dashboard to monitor the Governance Performance Index and online portals such as I-ORA and GARVI-2.0 for faster, transparent land-related services. Administrative decentralisation has been prioritised through the creation of new districts and talukas to improve access in rural and remote areas.

On employment, over 30,000 youths received appointment letters last year, and a 10-year recruitment calendar has been prepared to fill more than two lakh posts in phases. Government employees are provided cashless medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh under the Gujarat Karmayogi Swasthya Suraksha Yojana .

The governor also highlighted cultural and sports initiatives, including the Somnath Swabhiman Parv , the Sardar@150 Unity March , the observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh , and Gujarat being selected to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 .

“In line with the vision of ‘Viksit Gujarat to Viksit Bharat’ , under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel , the state is moving ahead with inclusive and all-round development,” he said.