New Delhi, June 10 : Narendra Modi on Monday took charge as the Prime Minister for a historic third consecutive term here at the PMO where he was given a rousing welcome.

At the Prime Minister’s Office in the South Block here, PMO staff greeted him with a round of huge applause as Modi entered the premises. The PM acknowledged the welcome with folded hands.

After assuming charge Modi signed his first file authorising the release of 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi. This will benefit 9.3 crore farmers and distribute around Rs 20,000 crores.

The Prime Minister said: “Ours is a government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan (farmer welfare). It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare.

“We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come.”

Narendra Modi was sworn in as the 16th Prime Minister of India on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in an impressive ceremony attended by leaders from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region.

UNI