In the heart of New Delhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur accentuated the significance of dialogue as the sole avenue to address the concerns of the agrarian community. He asserted that the government maintains a perpetual readiness for discussions with the farmers, highlighting them as the nation’s ‘Annadatas’ or providers of sustenance. Thakur went on to critique the previous UPA government, affirming that the Modi-led administration has earmarked greater financial resources for farmers compared to the UPA’s fiscal outlay during its tenure.
“We were prepared for discussions in the past, remain prepared now, and will stay prepared in the future. We harbor no reservations; indeed, they are our ‘Annadatas’…” he articulated. “Despite the global escalation in fertilizer prices, we thwarted the surge in fertilizer and urea expenses for farmers.
The Indian government extended subsidies totaling Rs 3 lakh crore. Over the last three years, we diligently toiled to introduce Nano Urea. Noteworthy is the fact that during the UPA’s decade-long rule, Rs 5.50 lakh crore was disbursed for Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat, paddy, and oilseeds. In stark contrast, the Modi government has allocated a staggering Rs 18 lakh 39 thousand crores, exceeding the figure by more than 3.50 times,” elucidated Thakur.
“In the case of pulses, consider this: the UPA administration spent a mere Rs 1936 crore, while the Modi government’s expenditure exceeded Rs 55,000 crore,” he appended. Thakur persistently directed his criticism towards the UPA government, contending that during the Congress era, there was an absence of both reverence for farmers and financial backing.
“The UPA disbursed Rs 11,000 crore for oilseeds, whereas we allocated Rs 33,000 crore. Their allocation for wheat was Rs 2 lakh 80 thousand, while ours soared to Rs 12 lakh 80 thousand. It was the Modi government that deposited a substantial Rs 2.81 lakh crore in the accounts of 12 crore farmers. Contrastingly, farmers received no compensation during the UPA regime. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana, our tenure witnessed compensation reaching a commendable Rs 1.54 lakh crore,” affirmed Anurag Thakur.
“During their tenure, financial inflow from banks was negligible. In 2013-14, a meager Rs 7.3 lakh crore was disbursed. In the fiscal year 2021-22, our administration provided upwards of Rs 20 lakh crore to the farmers. It was our duty to the farmers, prompting the creation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare by Modi ji. Each stride in that direction is exemplified by our disbursement of Rs 15,511 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Sichayi Yojana,” he concluded.