Farm Bills will improve farmers’ welfare: Kataria

Asserting that the Modi Government is totally committed towards the welfare of farmers, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Social Justice & Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria has stated that Parliament has passed the three farm bills for improving the overall economic condition of the farmers, which is congruent to the Union Government’s goal of doubling the farmer’s income by removing existing restrictions and old shackles.

Mr. Kataria, in a statement, on December 24, said that these bills will provide new rights and opportunities to farmers and further empower them in the long run. He strongly criticised the opposition parties who are trying to play politics over this matter& termed them as opportunists.

Mr. Kataria informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall mark good governance day by transferring Rs.18,000 crores directly into the bank accounts of nine crore farmers of the country under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. He said that that Prime Minister shall address the farmers at 12 noon on December 25, which marks the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, celebrated as Good Governance day throughout the country. Shri Kataria, reminiscing the old memories of working with Vajpayee ji, termed him as a great visionary and one of the tallest statesmen in Indian politics.

Allaying any fears among the farmers and strongly rejecting the false propaganda being spread on discontinuationof MSP, Shri Kataria said that the Government has continuously increased the Minimum Support price for procurement of crops. In the year 2019-2020, the Union Government has cumulatively increased the MSP up to 2.5 times as compared to the year 2013-14.In fact, from the year 2018-19, a decision was made to compute the MSP at 1.5 times the production cost of crops.

Mr. Kataria stressed that the Modi Government has been working tirelessly towards the welfare of farmers.Giving out the details, the Minister of State said that the Modi Government has increased the budgetary outlay for agriculture sector from Rs 21,933 Crores in the year 2013-14 to Rs 1,34,399 in the year 2020-21, an increase of almost 6 times.Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, a sum of Rs 95,779 Crore has been transferred, till date, benefitting 10.59 Crore farmers of the Nation.Talking about crop insurance, he informed that around 6.6 Crore farmers availed benefits under the Pradhan Mantri FasalBima Yojana. A total claim amount of over 87,000 Crores has been processed under this scheme.

The Minister said that a part from the above, there have been a number of farmer centric initiatives, schemes and policies rolled out by the Modi Government such as providing Neem Coated Urea, Soil Health cards, PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Kisan Rails, Provision of providing credit up to Rs,1 Lakh Crores to 10,000 FPOs etc.

Mr. Kataria reiterated Government’s commitment towards farmer’s welfare and appealed to the farmers, addressing them as “Annadatas”, that they should see through the motives of opposition parties. The Government has been and shall always be concerned about the farmer’s welfare andthe 3 Acts are also aimed at the same. He said that the Government is open to any discussion on the farm laws and shall address all the concerns of farmers. Mr. Kataria asserted that a new era awaits us, one that shall catapult the much needed growth in the agriculture sector& transform the lives of our Annadatas.