Bhagalpur: Continuing his Makhana politics in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he consumed fox nuts for 300 days a year due to its health benefits and called for its production on a global scale. He also dubbed it as superfood in Bhagalpur, Bihar while addressing a rally in the state where Assembly polls are due this year.
PM’s ‘Makhana’ love gains significance as these dry fruits have become the centre of Bihar politics ever since Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced formation of a Makhana Board in the eastern state during Budget presentation 2025-26.
The superfood gets a super display at Monday’s rally as PM Narendra Modi was garlanded with a string of makhanas. Earlier on Sunday, slad in white dhoti-kurtas, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, waded into knee-deep water in Darbhanga to try their hand at makhana (foxnut) farming and experience firsthand the challenges faced by the farmers.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan among Makhana farmers in Darbhanga:
Stepped into the pond to understand the process of Makhana farming
Sought suggestions to promote Makhana production@AgriGoI@ChouhanShivraj@DDNewsHindi@PIBHindi @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/2z19RFy077
— PIB Agriculture (@PIBAgriculture) February 23, 2025
PM Modi’s gift to farmers
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday transferred Rs 22,000 crore to bank accounts of 9.8 crore farmers under 19th instalment of PM Kisan scheme, in Bihar’s Bhagalpur.
During the event over 9.8 crore farmers including 2.41 crore female farmers across the country were benefitted through the 19th instalment release, receiving direct financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) without involvement of any middlemen.
बिहार की पावन धरती से अन्नदाता बहनों-भाइयों के खातों में पीएम-किसान की 19वीं किस्त ट्रांसफर करने के साथ विभिन्न विकास परियोजनाओं का उद्घाटन कर अत्यंत गौरवान्वित महसूस कर रहा हूं। https://t.co/ScyieLvMYS
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 24, 2025
Earlier, Narendra Modi had released the 18th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on October 5, 2024 in Washim, Maharashtra.
The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
NDA सरकार ना होती, तो बिहार सहित देशभर के मेरे किसान भाई-बहनों को पीएम किसान सम्मान निधि ना मिलती। बीते 6 साल में इसका एक-एक पैसा सीधे हमारे अन्नदाताओं के खाते में पहुंचा है। pic.twitter.com/kkKbB7gEmz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 24, 2025
The Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.46 lakh Cr. in 18 instalments since inception, as of February 2025.
Several Union ministers, MPs and MLAs and officials of the state as well as Central ministries also attended the function, where the PM made the announcement.
