Narendra Singh Tomar

During the meeting, Dias said removal of bottlenecks will provide a major impetus to boosting trade and business ties.

Speaking at National Awards Distribution function to honour outstanding work in the rural development schemes across the country, Tomar said every village needs to have all the basic facilities equipped with modern technology, just like the cities.

Stressing that agriculture is the backbone of the economy, Tomar said in the Lok Sabha that the government has been taking several measures to help the farmers, including the PM Kisan Yojana that gives them Rs 6,000 a year.

Against the initial projection of 14.5 beneficiaries, only 50 percent – 7.26 crore farmers – have benefited from the scheme so far

Tomar further said more than 90 per cent Cadastral Maps have been digitised in 19 states and UTs and substantial progress has been achieved in nine states and UTs.

However, the cooperatives need a push to compete in the global market, he said at the inauguration of the first ever three-day India International Cooperatives Trade Fair here.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Rs 9,046 crore worth claims have been paid to 80 lakh farmers under PMFBY and weather index based RWBCIS for the kharif 2018 season.

Area under Kharif crops has declined by 27 per cent at 234.33 lakh hectare till last week of the ongoing Kharif season of 2019-20 crop year (July-June), as against last 319.68 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

The scheme provides a payment of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 to beneficiaries.

The Modi 2.0 government has extended the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN), an income support scheme launched just before the Lok Sabha polls, to all 14.5 crore farmers irrespective of the size of landholdings but subject to exclusion criteria.

"The base of Trinamool Congress is violence and it is heading for a defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. She is totally flustered and that is why she is throwing the Constitution, law and protocol to the wind and trying to trample her opponents," Tomar told reporters here.

According to data collated by think-tank PRS Legislative Research, productivity of Parliament during the session was the "third lowest" in the 16th Lok Sabha.

DISHA Week is being celebrated from June 25-29 to mark completion of two years of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a joint statement have reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing diversification and growth of the strategic partnership, based on shared values of democracy, diversity, pluralism and the rule of law," Tomar said here.

Results in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly elections showed that people were with PM Modi, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

"No, no... I don't think that at present there is any need for it (merger of coal and mines ministries). Both the ministries are different. Both are functioning properly," he told PTI. Tomar got back the charge of the mines ministry after Sunday's Cabinet reshuffle in which his predecessor Piyush Goyal has been made the railways minister.

The figures were provided by Rural Development minister Narendra Singh Tomar during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha when members expressed concern over various aspects of the scheme including low wages and delay in payments.

The portfolio of urban development, which too was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, the PMO said.

The issue was raised during the Zero Hour by CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran who slammed the government for failing to make the payments to thousands of people in Kerala and elsewhere.

Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar said the Central Ground Water Board has prepared a conceptual document entitled 'Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India' involving ground water scientists and experts.