PM Modi renames Pravara Rural Education Society to ‘Loknete Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Ji's work for the progress of poor, efforts towards education and success of cooperative in Maharashtra will inspire generations to come: PM
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil always tried to work for the betterment of the society: PM Modi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released the autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil titled ‘Deh Vechwa Karani’ today through video conferencing. He renamed Pravara Rural Education Society as ‘Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said one will find stories of Vikhe Patil’s life in every region of Maharashtra. He said Balasaheb Vikhe Patil followed the footsteps of Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil and dedicated himself to the development of Maharashtra. He added easing the lives of the villagers, the poor, the farmers and reducing their sufferings have been the core of Vikhe Patil's life.

The Prime Minister said Vikhe Patil ji always worked for the betterment of society and always stressed on making politics a medium for bringing meaningful changes in the society, and for solving the problems of the poor and the villages. He said this approach of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil set him apart from the others. He said the autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil is very important for all of us, as his efforts & contribution for the development of the village, for the poor, for their education, for the success of cooperatives in Maharashtra will inspire generations to come.

The Prime Minister mentioned that Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil understood the pain and sufferings of the poor, of the farmers. So he brought the farmers together, connected them with the cooperatives. The Prime Minister said, as a minister in Atal ji's government, he encouraged cooperatives in many areas of the country including Maharashtra.

The Prime Minister said when rural education was not discussed much in the country, Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil worked to empower the youth in the villages through the Pravara Rural Education Society. Through this society he worked for the education and skill development of the youth in the village.

The Prime Minister said Vikhe Patil ji understood the importance of education in farming in the village. Today opportunities are being created to lead farmers towards entrepreneurship and make them entrepreneurs.

The Prime Minister said after independence when the country did not have enough food to feed, the priority of the government was how to increase the productivity of the crop. But in this concern for productivity, the focus was not given towards profitability of the farmer. He said the country is now emphasizing on increasing the income of the farmer, and has made constant efforts in this direction, such as the decision to increase MSP, neem coating of urea and better crop insurance. He added due to initiatives like PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, farmers now do not have to depend on others for small expenses. Moreover unprecedented work has been done on augmenting infrastructure such as cold chains, mega food parks and agro-processing infrastructure.

Referring to Balasaheb Vikhe Patil’s emphasis on the need to preserve the traditional knowledge of farming, wherein farming was done according to the natural conditions, the PM said we must preserve that knowledge and must also combine new and old methods in agriculture. In this context He cited the example of sugarcane crop, where both new and old ways of farming are used. He said now industries are being set up to extract sugar as well as ethanol from sugarcane.

The Prime Minister said that Dr. Bala Saheb Vikhe Patil always endeavoured to solve the problems in the villages of Maharashtra like the problem of drinking and irrigation water. He added that under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, work was done rapidly to complete 26 projects in Maharashtra, which were stuck for several years. Out of these, 9 projects have already been completed. With the completion of these projects, about 5 lakh hectares of land will get irrigation facilities, he added.

He said similarly in July 2018, work started on 90 more major and minor irrigation projects in Maharashtra. When these projects are completed in the next 2-3 years, about 4 lakh hectares of land will be connected with irrigation facilities. He said Atal groundwater scheme is being implemented in the 13 districts in Maharashtra where the groundwater level is very low.

The Prime Minister said under the Jal Jeevan mission, the work on providing piped drinking water to every family in the villages in Maharashtra is also going on at a rapid pace. Over 19 lakh families of Maharashtra have been provided with piped drinking water facilities during the last year. Out of this, over 13 lakh poor families got this facility during the corona pandemic.

He said the Mudra scheme has enhanced the avenues of self-employment in the village. Over 7 crore women belonging to the Self Help Group in the country have been given a loan of more than 3 lakh crore rupees. He added that farmers, fishermen have been provided with the facility of Kisan Credit Cards to get easy access to loans from banks. Nearly two and a half crore small farmer families who were earlier deprived of Kisan Credit Card now have this facility.

The Prime Minister said the boost to self confidence in the poors, in those residing in the villages will strengthen the resolve for self reliance. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil also wanted to instill this belief of self-reliance in villages.

 

Click here to read full text speech

Explore More
শ্রী রাম জন্মভূমি মন্দিরের ধ্বজারোহণ উৎসবে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বক্তব্যের বাংলা অনুবাদ

জনপ্রিয় ভাষণ

শ্রী রাম জন্মভূমি মন্দিরের ধ্বজারোহণ উৎসবে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বক্তব্যের বাংলা অনুবাদ
PM Modi inaugurates Micron’s ₹22,516-crore ATMP facility in Gujarat; calls chips ‘Regulator of 21st century’

Media Coverage

PM Modi inaugurates Micron’s ₹22,516-crore ATMP facility in Gujarat; calls chips ‘Regulator of 21st century’
NM on the go

Nm on the go

Always be the first to hear from the PM. Get the App Now!
...
Our collective goal is a developed Tamil Nadu for developed India: PM Modi in Madurai
March 01, 2026
Building high-quality infrastructure is about empowering people: PM
Over the past 12 years, the Central Government has invested heavily in Tamil Nadu’s highways, improving pilgrim travel and easing farm and marine produce transport: PM
Over the last decade, Indian Railways has transformed into a modern, efficient and people-centric transport system, and this transformation is visible in Tamil Nadu: PM
It is a matter of pride that our vision of ‘Make in India’ is boosting self-reliance and creating jobs for our youth: PM
The Union budget positions Tamil Nadu as part of the Rare Earth Corridors, promoting advanced manufacturing, research and technology development: PM
Our collective goal is a developed Tamil Nadu for developed India: PM

Shri R. N. Ravi, L. Murugan, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Nainar Nagendran, E. V. Velu, and my dear brothers and sisters of Tamil Nadu, Vanakkam!

I feel honoured to be in the sacred and historic city of Madurai. I bow to Meenakshi Amman and Bhagwan Sundareswarar. Today’s event marks a proud chapter in Tamil Nadu’s development journey. We have laid foundation stones, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation, projects worth over Four Thousand Four Hundred Crore Rupees. These projects will transform connectivity, boost the economy, create jobs and transform lakhs of people’s lives. Better roads for farmers to reach markets. Easier travel for pilgrims and tourists. Faster transport for businesses. Building high-quality infrastructure is about empowering people.

Friends,

Over the past twelve years, the Government of India has made huge investments in Tamil Nadu’s highway network. Over Four Thousand Kilometres of highways have been built here since 2014. Today, I am happy to lay the foundation stone for two major national highway projects. First, the four-laning of the Marakkanam–Puducherry section, with an investment of over Two Thousand One Hundred Crore Rupees. This will strengthen coastal tourism, trade and economy in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Second, the four-laning of the Paramakudi–Ramanathapuram stretch. In this project, we are investing over One Thousand Eight Hundred Crore Rupees. It will significantly enhance access to places like Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. This ensures ease of travel for pilgrims and smoother movement of agricultural produce and marine products.

Friends,

Over the last decade, Indian Railways has undergone a historic transformation. It is emerging as a modern, efficient and people-centric transport system. This transformation is particularly visible in Tamil Nadu. The railway budget allocation for Tamil Nadu has increased nearly nine-fold since our government came in. During 2009 to 2014, the average yearly railway allocation was Eight Hundred and Eighty Crore Rupees. In 2026–27, the allocation has increased to Seven Thousand Six Hundred Crore Rupees.

In Tamil Nadu, more than One Thousand Three Hundred Kilometres of new tracks have been laid. 97% electrification has been achieved. Hundreds of flyovers and underpasses have improved safety and efficiency. Last year, I had the privilege of inaugurating the new Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu. It is India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, a symbol of engineering excellence. This bridge in itself has become a major tourist attraction in Tamil Nadu.

Friends,

Right now, 9 Vande Bharat trains and 9 Amrit Bharat trains are benefitting the people of Tamil Nadu. The coaches of such high-speed trains are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. It is a matter of pride that our vision of ‘Make in India’ is boosting self-reliance and creating jobs for our youth. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Seventy-Seven railway stations are being modernised. These stations blend comfort, accessibility and local identity. Today, we are inaugurating Eight redeveloped stations across Tamil Nadu. The dedication of the Chennai Beach–Chennai Egmore fourth line will benefit thousands of daily commuters in Chennai. I am also pleased to inaugurate Akashvani’s new FM relay transmitters in Kumbakonam, Yercaud and Vellore. These radio stations will be dedicated to your service from today.

Friends,

Infrastructure funding to Tamil Nadu has now tripled, compared to the previous decade. And the Budget of 2026 continues the trend with a strong focus on Tamil Nadu. In this budget, we have proposed Bengaluru–Chennai and Chennai–Hyderabad bullet train corridors. They will revolutionise the economy of this whole region. The budget positions Tamil Nadu as part of the Rare Earth Corridors. Rare Earth Corridors will promote advanced manufacturing, research and technology development.

Friends,

Tamil Nadu has a rich history and heritage. Historic sites such as Adichanallur will be developed into global heritage destinations. Ecotourism initiatives around Lake Pulicat and Podhigai Malai will create new job opportunities while preserving natural ecosystems. Across the nation, around Two Hundred industrial clusters will be identified and supported, to boost manufacturing. We all know that Tamil Nadu is home to many industries and therefore, this scheme will benefit the youth here.

Friends,

Every Indian is inspired to build a developed nation by 2047. Tamil Nadu will play a decisive role in shaping the nation’s destiny. Our collective goal is a developed Tamil Nadu for developed India. The Centre remains fully committed to enabling inclusive development and the state’s progress.

Nandri!