AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a traditional ‘Khatla Sabha’ in Gujarat's Bhildi, Banaskantha, on October 30, with farmers seated on khatlas instead of conventional chairs. The national-level PM Kisan Utsav Divas will see the transfer of over ₹18,680 crore to more than 9.34 crore farmer families nationwide, alongside the launch of major Banas Dairy projects.
In a departure from conventional political rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold what is being described as the country’s first ‘Khatla Sabha’, ( “Khatla” Known as cots) with traditional cots replacing chairs for farmers attending a major agricultural event in Bhildi, in Banaskantha’s Deesa taluka on Friday.
The rural-style seating arrangement has added a distinctive political dimension to the national-level PM Kisan Utsav Divas, which will combine direct financial assistance to farmers with the inauguration of dairy infrastructure projects in north Gujarat.
At the centre of the event is the release of the 24th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. More than 9.34 crore farmer families across the country are expected to receive over ₹18,680 crore directly into their bank accounts.
In Gujarat, more than 52.33 lakh farmer families will receive assistance exceeding ₹1,000 crore, providing the event with a significant agricultural outreach component.
The financial transfer comes against the backdrop of substantial cumulative disbursements under the scheme. Across the first 23 installments, more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred to over 11 crore farmer families nationwide. In Gujarat, more than 69.26 lakh beneficiary farmers have received over ₹24,137 crore so far.
However, the event will extend beyond direct benefit transfers, with Banas Dairy’s ambitious expansion plans forming another major component of the Prime Minister’s visit.
Modi will inaugurate the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC), established across 127 acres in Bhildi at a cost of ₹325 crore. The facility aims to strengthen scientific livestock breeding and improve the quality of cattle, supporting productivity in the dairy sector.
The centre is expected to promote scientific methods in animal husbandry, an important source of livelihood across rural Gujarat. Its premises have been illuminated ahead of the inauguration.
Additionally, the Prime Minister will virtually inaugurate Banas Dairy’s Potato Expansion project and its Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) facility. He will also lay the foundation stones for two compressed biogas plants at Tharad and Radhanpur, signalling a push towards waste-to-energy initiatives alongside dairy development.
Meanwhile, Gujarat will organise 34 district-level and more than 2,100 cluster-level events to mark PM Kisan Utsav Divas. The Bhildi programme will be broadcast live, while assistance letters under agriculture and horticulture schemes will be distributed to beneficiaries.
Modi’s two-day Gujarat visit will continue at the Statue of Unity, where he will visit the Bharat Parv pavilion and watch the National School of Drama’s production of Anandamath on October 30.
On October 31, he will pay tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on National Unity Day, inaugurate development projects, attend Aarambh 2026 and interact with trainee officers before reviewing the parade at the main celebrations.
The Bhildi gathering thus combines a distinctive rural political setting with farmer welfare announcements and infrastructure launches, placing agriculture and dairy development at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s Gujarat itinerary.