Belagavi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), launched by the last UPA government, must be given a new shape in order to help save water in all villages across the country.

Prime Minister during his visit to Belagavi on Saturday addressed a farmers’ rally and said, “We are bringing pressure on the states to give top priority to works related to water conservation under MNREGS. The money allocated should be spent on building canals, check dams and other such work to help save water,”  he said, arguing that had successive governments given importance to water management since Independence, farmers would not be forced to commit suicide today.

“They are capable of producing gold from the soil if they receive adequate water. We recently launched a project called Pradhan Manthri Krishi Sinchai Yojana worth Rs 50,000 crore to give more water to farmers. The project also involves linking of rivers. The countries which do not have water sources have been able to improve their agricultural output merely by improving their water management,” he said.

“Israel is one such country. It has  been able to grow quality produce and get good yield even by using less water,’” he pointed out. He called upon farmers for more use of drip irrigation, sprinklers and micro irrigation to improve agriculture in India as well.

Sensitising farmers to the Centre’s Fasal Bima Yojana during the rally he said that the scheme should not be restricted to merely digging pits, but help in creation of assets.

Modi also urged the youth in Karnataka, particularly from IT-savvy Bengaluru to come out with new technology to help farmers grow more on their fields.

“Is it possible for youth to come out with an instrument  which can be used to test the quality of agricultural land?  I invite the youth to launch such a project as it can help farmers get better yield without use of fertilisers, which have been turning the soil infertile,” he said.     

Moving on to the issue of corruption, “Since I took charge, even our rivals have not been able to level any allegation of corruption against my government,” he maintained.

Tension prevailed outside the venue of a farmers’ rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as fire gutted heaps of hay about 150 metres from the dais in this border city on Saturday. Several fire engines rushed to the spot to bring the fire under control. The cause for such a blaze is being investigated by local police officers.