(a) whether most of the farming is done in the rural areas of the country;
(b) whether the Government has taken any steps to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas of the country although rural areas have made improvements; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a): Yes Madam.
(b) & (c): The Government is implementing several programmes that aim at bringing about overall improvement in the quality of life of the rural people and bridging the urban rural gap through: creation of employment opportunities; strengthening of livelihood opportunities; creation of rural infrastructure; provision of other basic amenities; etc. These programmes, inter alia, include: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for wage employment, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission for livelihoods promotion through self-employment, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana for rural housing, National Rurban Mission to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme to generate self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth, National Social Assistance Programme for enhancing the incomes of rural poor and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for rural roads.
The focus of the Government on agricultural sector with programmes for irrigation, insurance, soil health, market, credit and farm infrastructure together with its announced policy on Minimum Support Price is also likely to boost farm and rural incomes. The shift of approach in policy planning from production centric to income centric and the launch of various schemes accordingly.
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