28 April,2019 02:24 PM IST | | ANI
Randeep Singh Surjewala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government kept on cheating the farmers and benefitting insurance companies, alleged Congress on Sunday.
"8 insurance companies benefited to the tune of rupees 21,731 crores from the agriculture insurance scheme introduced by Modiji, the Krishi cess which the common people give for farmers on Income tax, petrol and diesel is going in the pockets of these big companies," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala at a press conference.
Surjewala also said that the five years of Modi rule were a bane for the farmers, the day he became PM he tried to end the Land Acquisition act, even MSP was not provided to the farmers and atrocities on them increased throughout the country.
He went on to add, "According to the numbers presented by the Modi government in the Lok Sabha, the agriculture growth rate was 4.25 under UPA II (2009-14) led by Congress, which came down to 2.5 per cent between 2014-18, and Modi promises to double the farmers income by 2022, even going by Modi's estimate this will take approximately 20 years at this rate."
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The Congress spokesperson also said that the government had planned to cut down the profits of the farmers by importing grains and pulses from other countries.
He stated: "As soon as the farmers bring their grains in the market, the Modi government removes import duty and brings cheap grains in the market from Australia and other countries. In 2016-17, 985 lakh tonnes wheat was produced in the country, Modiji brought down the import duty to 0% and imported 57 lakh 49 thousand 434 metric tonnes in April which made the farmers get fewer prices."
"230 lakh tonnes of pulses is needed in the country, in 2016-17 231 lakh tonnes was produced in the country, even then 66 lakh tonnes of pulses were imported by Modiji through Adani and other big businessmen right before the harvest season, and as a result the Indian farmers didn't get the desired price."
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