Farmers should not run from pillar to post for benefits: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday directed officials to adopt a time-bound, result-oriented and technology-driven governance model to ensure that farmers, rural citizens and the poor receive government benefits without unnecessary delays or procedural hurdles. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued key governance directives during the Union Council of Ministers meeting, Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development in New Delhi.
During the meeting, the Union Minister said governance should be visible in the lives of people and not remain confined to official files. He stressed that farmers and ordinary citizens should not be forced to “run from pillar to post” either for grievance redressal or to access the benefits of government schemes. Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s governance mantra of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform,” Chouhan said reforms in administration and service delivery would bring happiness and prosperity to farmers and rural communities.
The Minister instructed departments including Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Resources and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms and make them more accountable and responsive. He directed the formation of dedicated teams of at least 10 officers each in both ministries to conduct daily reviews of complaints, citizen representations, public grievances and issues raised through various portals.
Chouhan stressed that grievance redressal should not remain limited to disposal on paper and officials must verify whether actual relief has reached beneficiaries on the ground. He noted that in some cases, discrepancies had emerged between official records and field realities during direct interactions with beneficiaries. The Minister also stressed reforms in administrative work culture, including improvements in drafting, file preparation and decision-making processes at all levels. He directed departments to strengthen training and capacity-building programmes for officials to ensure faster and more effective governance.