New Delhi: Senior Congress MP Randeep Surjewala on Thursday took potshots at the Modi government, saying its promise to double farmers' income by 2022 has turned out to be a "jumla" as their earnings have actually gone down.
Initiating a discussion on the working of the agriculture ministry in the Rajya Sabha, Surjewala also attacked the BJP for ignoring the interests of the poor. The Congress MP said when the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha raised issues related to Dalits, farmers and the working class, BJP asked about "our caste".
He further said that while the central government claims it has significantly increased the budget outlay for the agriculture sector, actually it did not spend Rs 1 lakh crore in the last five years and "surrendered" the amount. The Congress MP also said the latest Union Budget has reduced allocations under various schemes related to agriculture, fertiliser and dairy and cited data in support of his argument.
"The subsidy has been reduced by about Rs 25,000 crore for urea and P&K fertilisers alone," he said. Continuing the attack on the government, Surjewala referred to PM Fasal Bima Yojna and said between 2016-17 and June 30, 2024, the premium paid by farmers was Rs 2,29,789 crore and insurance companies earned a profit of Rs 63,648 crore. This is a "profiteering" scheme for any insurance company in the country.
He also said the Modi government first brought three black farm laws (now revoked) and did not procure crops at MSP. Raising the issue of farmers' suicide, he said more than one lakh farmers committed suicides in the past 10 years. "In the Modi government's regime, every day 31 farmers commit suicide. How do you (BJP) manage to sleep," he said.
"The (three farm) laws have been revoked, but the promise of law on MSP has not been fulfilled to date," he added. Participating in the discussion, John Brittas of CPI (M) also raised the issue of increasing farmers' income. "In 2016, the PM declared that farm income will be doubled in 2022. In 2018, an inter-ministerial committee submitted a report to the government, saying how the farmer's income can be doubled. It was forgotten. Nobody knows where is the report," he said.
Fauzia Khan of the NCP said that Maharashtra accounts for 37 per cent of the total farmer suicides in the country. CPI (M) member Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the minimum support price "must have to be ensured by a statutory protection for which farmers of the country are fighting". He asserted that awarding Bharat Ratna to MS Swaminathan but ignoring his recommendations is nothing but showing disrespect to the renowned agriculture scientist.
"Even today, the MSP in accordance with the formula of Dr Swaminathan has not been followed. The farmers are trying to organise their movement in demand of MSP," Bhattacharya said. Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi party said perishable vegetables to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore are destroyed every year due to lack of proper food processing and cold storage facilities, except for potatoes.
Subhash Barala, Kunwar Ratanjeet Pratap Narayan Singh, Pradip Kumar Verma, S Phangnon Konyak, Maya Naroliya, Madan Rathore, S Selvaganabathy, Banshilal Gurjar, Kalpana Saini, and Sadhna Singh (all BJP), KR Suresh Reddy (BRS), Dola Sen (TMC), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Beedha Masthan Rao Yadav (YSRCP) and Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) also participated in the discussion.
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