Jaipur, Oct. 22 -- Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore on Wednesday said the state government was committed to farmers' welfare, rural development and making villages self-reliant, highlighting financial assistance, interest-free crop loans and disaster relief measures ahead of the panchayat elections. Rathore said panchayat elections were not merely about choosing representatives but also an opportunity to shape rural development, improve farmers' prosperity and strengthen village-level governance. He said the BJP aimed to ensure government schemes reached the last person and panchayats became the foundation of a self-reliant rural economy. Citing figures to highlight the government's initiatives, Rathore said Rs.14,405 crore had been transferred to 7.61 million farmers in Rajasthan under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. Under the state's Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, more than 6.5 million farmers had received Rs.3,387 crore through six instalments. He said 10.9 million farmers had been provided interest-free short-term crop loans worth Rs.67,293 crore, while 318,000 new farmers had received crop loans totalling Rs.561 crore. "The annual assistance under the state scheme had been increased from Rs.2,000 to Rs.3,000 per eligible farmer, and the government planned to raise it further to Rs.6,000," he added. Rathore said strengthening the rural economy required support for allied activities such as animal husbandry and other livelihood opportunities. As many as 103,000 eligible cattle-rearing families had received interest-free loans worth Rs.775 crore, while 45,968 beneficiaries had been provided livelihood loans totalling Rs.400 crore....