Anurag Thakur said that the Center has no problem in discussing with the protesting farmers.
New Delhi:
Terming talks as the only way to address the concerns of farmers, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the government is always ready for discussions with farmers, adding that farmers are the ‘annadata’ of the country.
The Union minister also criticized the UPA government and said that the Modi-led government has allocated more money for farmers than what the UPA spent during its tenure.
He said, “Earlier also we were ready for discussion, now we are ready and in future also we will be ready. We have no problem, they are our ‘Annadata’…”
“Despite the rise in fertilizer prices across the world, we prevented an increase in the cost of fertilizer and urea for farmers. The Government of India provided a subsidy of Rs 3 lakh crore.
In the last three years, we worked continuously and brought Nano Urea and not only this, I want to tell you that in the 10 years of UPA, Rs 5.50 lakh crore was spent on MSP of wheat, paddy and oilseeds. Mr Thakur said, the Modi government has allocated Rs 18 lakh 39 thousand crore, which is more than 3.50 times.
“If I give you the example of pulses, the UPA government spent Rs 1936 crore, the Modi government spent more than Rs 55,000 crore,” he said.
Continuing his attack on the UPA government, the Union Minister said that during the time of Congress, there was neither respect for farmers nor funding.
They (UPA) spent Rs 11,000 crore on oilseeds, we spent Rs 33,000 crore. They spent Rs 2 lakh 80 thousand on wheat, we spent Rs 12 lakh 80 thousand. It was the Modi government that deposited Rs 2.81 lakh crore in the accounts of 12 crore farmers, and during the UPA the farmers did not get compensation. In our time, compensation worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore has been given under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana,” Anurag Thakur said.
“During their (UPA) time, money was not available from banks. Rs 7.3 lakh crore was given in 2013-14. In 2021-22, we gave more than Rs 20 lakh crore to the farmers. It was our duty towards the farmers.” That is why Modi ji has created the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Look at each step in that direction, we spent Rs 15,511 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Irrigation Scheme,” he said.
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