Nitin Mahajan / NEW DELHI
Bharatiya Janata Party has asked party leaders and cadre to reach out to farmers to counter what it called ‘Opposition propaganda’ against the agriculture sector reform Bills passed by the Parliament in the recent monsoon session.
Speaking to party cadre on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted on Karyakartas to reach out to the farmers on the ground and inform them in very simplified language about the importance and intricacies of the new farm reforms, how these will empower them. “Our ground connect will bust the propaganda being spread in the virtual world,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister’s comments came at the address to commemorate Jana Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, via video conferencing.
Prime minister also said that reforms in agriculture will benefit small and marginalized farmers the most.
“The reforms in agriculture will benefit most to small and marginal farmers. 85 out of 100 are farmers belong to this category and they are happy. For the first time, they got an option on the price of their produce. There is a tradition of selling in Mandis if a farmer wants he can sell there else outside Mandis. Farmers can sell their produce as per his choice,” he said.
He alleged that the UPA government made only promises to farmers but our government has done a lot for the farmers. “Previous governments used to make a complicated web of promises and laws which farmers or labourers could never understand. But BJP-led NDA govt, has constantly tried to change this situation and has introduced reforms for the welfare of farmers,” he said.
The prime minister pointed out that in The last few years, NDA govt made full efforts to connect farmers with banks. Over Rs 1 lakh crores transferred to over 10 crore farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Our effort was to provide KISAN credit cards to more & more farmers so they can avail loans easily, he said.
The Prime Minister’s call on leaders to reach out and create awareness regarding the issue among farmers will be taken up by leaders who are expected to organise small contact programs and explain the new laws to the rural population.
The move is expected to gain momentum soon as the opposition tries to build people’s movement against the recently passed farm Bills.
