PM talks about khadi and farmers in Mann Ki Baat

New Delhi: Khadi can provide employment to crores of people in the country and at least 50 percent of the country's farmers should be included in the crop insurance scheme launched by the government over the next two years, PM Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his first "Mann Ki Baat" address of 2016.

"Khadi has the power to provide employment to crores of people. It has now become a symbol and a centre of interest of the nation's youth," Modi said.

"Sardar Patel said India's independence is in Khadi, India's civilization represents Khadi, farmers' welfare is in Khadi," he added.

"If the entire nation observes silence every January 30 at 11 am, you can imagine the energy that a single moment will generate. It should be made a practice," Modi said.

In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister expressed concern over the fact that only 20 to 25 percent farmers have so far been covered under the crop insurance schemes. Modi also appealed to people to observe two minutes silence on the 30th of January each year to pay tributes to the martyrs of the nation.

"We have been talking about crop insurance for years, but not more than 20-25 percent farmers have been able to benefit from it. Can we pledge that in the next one to two years, at least, 50 percent of the farmers will be brought under insurance? I need your help in this," Modi said.

The 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana' (Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme), approved by the union cabinet recently, gives insurance cover against crop loss due to natural calamities and has lower premium rates.

"A lot is said about farmers in our country… I will not get into those debates, but the biggest problem faced by a farmer is when he loses his hard work to a natural calamity," the Prime Minister said.

"There is only one way to give them protection, that is crop insurance. In 2016, we have given a big gift to the farmers Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana," he said.

He urged the listeners to take the message to the farmers. (IANS)