Doubling farmers income may not be possible by 2022: Pushpendra Singh

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Chaudhary Pushpendra Singh, President and farmer leader of the Kisan Shakti Sangh said that keeping in mind the current growth rate of agriculture sector of around 3 per cent these promises of doubling the farmers' income is not likely to be fulfilled.

New Delhi:Chaudhary Pushpendra Singh, President and farmer leader of the Kisan Shakti Sangh claimed that the government has actually reduced the allocation for the agriculture sector in the Union Budget 2020.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Chaudhary said that last time, where 12% of the total budget was given to agriculture and rural areas, this time only 11% of allocation has been made.

While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talked about strengthening the rural and agricultural economy under the 16-point formula, Pushpendra Singh further added that the government has promised to double farmers income in the year 2016, which is to be done by 2022, but keeping in mind the current growth rate of agriculture sector of around 3 per cent these promises are not likely to be fulfilled.

However, Singh welcomed some of the government's initiatives such as the need to provide Kisan Credit Card facility to all the farmers benefiting from PM Kisan Yojana. Along with this, the farmer leader welcomed the step of increasing credit in the agricultural sector from 12 lakh crores to 15 lakh crores but at the same time, he said that it will be given to farmers as a loan and will have to be refunded with interest. This is not a budgetary allocation.