Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will travel to Seoni district on Wednesday, 30 June to preside over the state-level Dhan Mahotsav (Rice Festival), where he is set to directly transfer incentive payments worth ₹282.99 crore to 3,941 Kodo-Kutki millet producers across the region. The disbursement, credited to farmers' bank accounts in a single digital transfer, marks one of the largest direct-benefit payouts to millet growers in the state's recent history.

Direct Benefit Transfer to Millet Farmers

The incentive is being paid at the rate of ₹1,000 per quintal, designed to reward Kodo-Kutki cultivation and boost farmer income in Seoni's tribal-dominated agricultural belt. According to an official statement, the financial support is intended to encourage the cultivation of these nutritious millets, enhance production volumes, and meaningfully improve household earnings for participating growers. The transfer will be executed with a single click, reflecting the state government's push toward direct and transparent benefit delivery.

Infrastructure Push: 629 Projects Worth ₹494 Crore

Beyond the farmer payments, Chief Minister Yadav will lay the foundation for or formally inaugurate 629 development works valued at ₹494.16 crore during the event. The package spans infrastructure and public welfare initiatives aimed at accelerating Seoni district's overall growth. Officials have described the combined outlay as a major developmental gift to the people of Seoni.

What the Dhan Mahotsav Will Feature

The festival is designed as both a policy event and an agricultural knowledge fair. Large exhibitions will showcase achievements of various government departments, with live demonstrations of modern rice cultivation machinery, natural farming practices, and organic gardens. Visitors will also be able to explore custom hiring centres, GI-tagged products, millet-based food items, and goods produced under the PMFME scheme.

Additional displays will cover diverse mango varieties, handicrafts, products by self-help groups, minor forest produce, and items crafted by local entrepreneurs. Special nutritional food stalls are also planned. Practical information on digital land records, agriculture-related mobile applications, and farmer credit cards will be made available on-site.

Key Leaders Attending

The event will be attended by several senior political figures, including Revenue Minister and district in-charge Karan Singh Verma, Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kanshana, MP Phaggan Singh Kuldhiste, and MP Sanjuni Bharti Pardhi. The high-profile presence underscores the political significance the ruling dispensation is attaching to Seoni's agricultural transformation.

Broader Context

This comes amid the Centre's sustained push to mainstream millets under the International Year of Millets framework and India's broader Shree Anna (millet) promotion drive. Madhya Pradesh, a leading producer of Kodo-Kutki, has been expanding its tribal farmer support programmes in the Seoni belt. The Dhan Mahotsav is expected to draw farmers, agricultural experts, and citizens from across the district, with the state government positioning the event as a model for combining direct transfers with knowledge-sharing at scale.