Shivraj chairs DISHA meet in Dewas, maps farm and welfare push
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a DISHA committee meeting in Dewas on 1 August 2026, setting targets on farmer income, Lakhpati Didi enrolment, Ayushman Bharat saturation, TB elimination and youth skilling.
Key Takeaways
Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the DISHA committee meeting in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh on 1 August 2026 .
The meeting reviewed a district-level agriculture roadmap aimed at raising farm production and farmer incomes.
Expanding enrolment in the Lakhpati Didi programme, strengthening self-help groups and improving bank linkages were key livelihood priorities discussed.
The committee resolved to make Dewas TB-free and malnutrition-free and to achieve full Ayushman Bharat card coverage for eligible residents.
Youth skilling linked to employment and self-employment was also a stated priority of the meeting.
The DISHA framework is the central mechanism for Union ministers to monitor scheme delivery at the district level.
A district meeting became a development blueprint. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a DISHA committee session in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, 1 August 2026, steering a wide-ranging review of agriculture, health, livelihood and skill schemes — and setting concrete targets for the district's next phase of growth.
In a post on X, Chouhan described the meeting as 'extremely productive' (atyanth sarthak), saying discussions ranged across an agricultural roadmap for the district to boosting women's earnings and expanding health coverage. 'Farmers' welfare is our highest priority,' he wrote. 'We held extensive deliberations on the district's agriculture roadmap so that production increases and farmers' incomes rise.'
Lakhpati Didi push and SHG strengthening top the agenda
A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to women's economic empowerment. Chouhan said the committee discussed enrolling more women from self-help groups into the Lakhpati Didi programme — the flagship target under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission that aims to take each enrolled woman's annual income to at least Rs 1 lakh. Strengthening self-help groups, expanding bank linkages and creating new self-employment avenues were identified as the levers to get there. The committee also discussed implementing the VB-G RAM G scheme through community participation, though specifics of that programme remain to be detailed publicly.TB-free Dewas, Ayushman saturation and youth skills
On the health and skilling front, the meeting resolved to make Dewas district TB-free and malnutrition-free, and to ensure every eligible resident receives an Ayushman Bharat card — the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana that provides health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family, launched nationally in 2018. Youth employment got equal billing: the committee committed to linking young people to jobs and self-employment through targeted skills training. Chouhan closed his post with a note of confidence: 'I am fully certain that with the cooperation of elected representatives, officials and the aware public of Dewas, we will build a model of development and public welfare that becomes an inspiration for all.' The DISHA framework — District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees — exists precisely for this kind of convergence, bringing Union ministers into direct oversight of how central schemes land at the district level. For Madhya Pradesh, where agricultural income and rural health indicators remain central political benchmarks, a meeting like this one in Dewas is a signal of where the minister's personal attention is being directed. Whether the roadmap translates into measurable gains in farmer income, Ayushman saturation and TB case reduction will be the real test.Point of View
Not just an administrative formality. The convergence of agriculture, health and livelihood targets in a single session reflects the Centre's push for scheme saturation ahead of electoral cycles in Madhya Pradesh. The emphasis on Lakhpati Didi and Ayushman card coverage maps directly onto BJP's rural women outreach strategy, which proved decisive in the 2023 state assembly results. Progress on the Dewas agriculture roadmap and TB-free targets will be watched as indicators of whether district-level intent converts into ground-level delivery.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DISHA committee and what does it do?
The DISHA committee — District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee — is a body that reviews the implementation of central government schemes at the district level, with Union ministers typically presiding over meetings in their constituencies or areas of jurisdiction.
What is the Lakhpati Didi scheme?
Lakhpati Didi is a target under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission that aims to help women enrolled in self-help groups earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually through skill training, bank linkages and self-employment support.
What did Shivraj Singh Chouhan discuss at the Dewas DISHA meeting?
The meeting covered a district agriculture roadmap to raise farmer incomes, Lakhpati Didi enrolment, self-help group strengthening, bank linkages, Ayushman Bharat card saturation, making Dewas TB-free and malnutrition-free, and youth skills training.
What is Ayushman Bharat and who is eligible?
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, launched in 2018, provides health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to economically vulnerable households, with eligibility determined by Socio-Economic Caste Census data.
Where is Dewas district located?
Dewas is a district in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, and it falls within Shivraj Singh Chouhan's political domain as a senior BJP leader and former four-term Chief Minister of the state.
