PATNA, June 21 -- Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday reaffirmed the state government's focus on improving the lives of farmers, promising better market access so that growers can earn more from their hard work. Speaking at an event to mark the release of the 23rd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Choudhary said the happiness on farmers' faces would open the door to Bihar's prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually transferred over Rs.18,880 crore to more than 94.4 million farmers nationwide from Tarakeswar in West Bengal. In Bihar, Rs.1,463 crore reached the bank accounts of over 7.3 million farmer families through direct benefit transfer. Choudhary joined the programme from the auditorium of the Bihar Agricultural Management Extension Training Institute (BAMETI) in Patna via video conferencing. Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha participated from Bhagalpur, also through video link. A senior official noted that the Bameti event, organised by the agriculture department, was scheduled after Sinha's Bhagalpur programme was finalised. The CM highlighted several steps the government is taking to support agriculture. Farmers in the state receive electricity for farming at a highly subsidised rate of just 64 paise per unit. Work is progressing quickly on solar pump storage systems under the PM KUSUM scheme, which is proving beneficial for cultivators. "So far, around 5.5 million farmers have received their farmer IDs. This will help identify land clearly and organise the farming community better," Choudhary said. He also mentioned that 800 Jivika Didis have been trained as Agri Sakhis to promote natural farming and spread awareness about its benefits among villagers. The CM pointed out that irrigated land in Bihar has doubled in the last two decades, rising from 22,000 hectares to 44,000 hectares. "We are fully committed to doubling farmers' income, modernising agriculture, and strengthening the rural economy," he added. Choudhary stressed the need to move beyond traditional farming. "For the economic prosperity of farmers, we must promote integrated farming instead of conventional methods. The government is working in this direction with focus on horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and organic cultivation," he said. He spoke about efforts to connect farmers directly to markets. Arrangements are being made to provide market access for produce from Bihar's 45,000 villages so that farmers get fair prices. Special emphasis is being placed on linking them to international markets as well. Choudhary also touched upon the Sahyog Shivir programme, under which more than 275,000 out of 325,000 applications have been disposed of. Notices have been issued to officials in cases of delays, and a review mechanism involving block, subdivision, district and divisional levels has been put in place to ensure justice for the people. On the women's front, he mentioned the Lakhpati Didi initiative. Bihar already has 48 lakh such women, and the target is to take this number to one crore in the next two years. Under the CM Women's Employment Scheme, each woman is to receive Rs.2.10 lakh in assistance, with the first instalment of Rs.10,000 already given and the second one to follow soon. A Jivika Nidhi Bank has been created to help self-help group women access loans easily. Choudhary noted that Bihar buys expensive power but supplies it to consumers at some of the lowest rates in the country, offering the highest subsidy of about Rs.23,000 crore. All domestic consumers get up to 125 units of free electricity. He directed that farmer credit cards be issued during Sahyog Shivirs to further empower cultivators. Development commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh and principal secretary of the agriculture department Narmadeshwar Lal also addressed the gathering....