Pune: Narendra Modi-led government has drafted three bills to increase the income of farmers and has opposed the Agriculture Reforms Bill, expressing that it is 'Congress's hand, with brokers, against farmers'. BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay has expressed confidence that the farmers will stand up against the anti-propaganda against the bill.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Maharashtra Pradesh office. For the last several years, the farmer has been caught in the clutches of the middlemen who work as a mediator in the market committee and the farmers themselves are being exploited.
By breaking the shackles of this farmer's feet, they will get a chance to sell their goods where they will get the best price. He further said that "the propaganda of the opposition against this bill is intentional and anti-farmer."
He went on, "Farmers will now be able to sell their produce anywhere. In future, storage of farm produce will be done at the village level, so farmers will be able to bring their produce for sale after seeing the market conditions. The bill gives priority to the interests of the farmers while resolving disputes on a voluntary basis."
He went on, "It is unfortunate that the Congress party does not even remember its manifesto and the permissions given during its tenure. Contract farming started in 2007 when Congress was in power in Haryana. The Congress had promised in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to lift restrictions on the sale of farm produce. The same Congress party is opposing this bill only for political opposition." He also appealed to the farmers not to fall prey to this propaganda.
He added, " Modi government has taken many decisions in the last six years to double the income of farmers. Due to changes in the crop insurance scheme, farmers have received Rs 77,000 crore in crop insurance in the last four years. As per the recommendation of the Dr Swaminathan Commission, the Modi government decided to give farmers a guaranteed price of half the cost of production. The UPA government has never shown willingness to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double the income of farmers. A decisive step has been taken in the form of these 3 Bills to fulfil this promise."
