BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra modi He said on Friday that political parties, experts and even farmers have long been demanding new agricultural laws, and assured that the Minimum Sustenance Price (MSP) mechanism for crops will continue.
Addressing the farmers of Madhya pradesh through virtual mode, claimed that opposition The parties themselves advocated such laws, but were now protesting because they did not want him to get credit for the reforms.
The government was ready around the clock to speak to farmers, the prime minister said, as the agitation against new agricultural laws on the Delhi borders entered its 23rd.
“The new agricultural laws have not arrived overnight, but political parties, agricultural experts and progressive farmers have long demanded it.
“Over the past 20 to 22 years, the Center and state governments have deliberated on these agricultural reforms in detail. Farmer agencies, agricultural scientists and farmers were also continually demanding them,” he said.
“In fact, farmers should seek answers from their opponents now on why they advocated for these farm laws in their manifestos to get their votes, but never delivered on the promise. It was not their priority,” Modi said.
“Your problem is how Modi has done it. Why Modi should get the credit for it. Give your manifesto credit and not me. I just want the progress of the farmers, but stop misleading them on the matter,” he added.
“If you look at their manifestos, you will find that today’s reforms are no different from what they had promised,” the prime minister said.
“They use the shoulders of farmers to shoot the government,” he said, attacking the opposition.
“We are asking them again and again to point out problems in the new agricultural laws, but they have no answer. Those who have lost their political space in the country are deceiving farmers who will lose their land,” he said. .
“I want to expose these political parties now. The report of the Swaminathan committee is an example. When the report came in, they sat on it for eight years.
“The farmers demanded it, but it didn’t bother them. Since they didn’t want to pay the farmers more, they sat down on the report,” Modi alleged.
“Our government treated farmers as ‘annadata’ (one who provides food) and implemented the Swaminathan committee report. We have given 1.5 times more MSP than the cost of production,” added the prime minister.
“Two years ago it was promised that the loans would be waived, but the farmers in Madhya Pradesh know better than I do how many farmers actually benefited. In Rajasthan, farmers are still waiting for the loan waiver,” he said, attacking the ruling Congress. in Rajasthan and was in power in parliament until March this year.
Regarding the fear that the MSP for crops will be eliminated, the prime minister said: “Our government takes the MSP so seriously that it advertises it for crops even before planting.”
“It has been more than six months since the implementation of the new agricultural laws, and the crops were bought from MSP even during the coronavirus pandemic and from the same mandis (APMC markets) where farmers used to sell (before).
“No person in their right mind will accept that the MSP is eliminated. Nothing will be a lie and a bigger conspiracy than this,” Modi said, assuring that the MSP for crops will continue.
Opponents of farm laws are also spreading lies about the Agricultural Products Market Committees (APMC), the prime minister said.
Under the new law, farmers are free to sell the produce in existing APMC mandis if they get a higher price, he said.
“Not a single mandi was closed in the last six months. In fact, the government is spending 500 million rupees on its modernization,” the prime minister said.
Referring to the new law on contracts between private entities and farmers, he said that such agreements also existed before.
The new law makes such agreements more binding on private entities, and they cannot escape their commitment to the farmer even if they suffer a loss, Modi said.
He will address farmers again on December 25 on the issue, the prime minister said.
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