NEW DELHI, July 25: Lamenting that agriculture has become a loss making proposition, the Congress today accused the Government of exploiting farmers. Initiating a short duration discussion on the farmers’ distress leading to rise in the incidents of their suicide in the country, Congress Member Digvijaya Singh said, “Farming in the country is not viable and farmers are forced to send their children to other profession.”
Citing the NCRB data in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Singh said there had been an increase of 42 per cent in the incidents of farmer suicides in the country and “the government claims to double the revenue of farmers by 2022”.
The Congress leader said that the Government imported wheat at a time when the production was surplus. Stating that import and export policy of agriculture produce was an important subject for farmers, Mr Singh said the Government should also have Members of Parliament in the panel to decide on export and import policy.
Terming the crop insurance scheme of the Government as a failure, Mr Singh said, “this scheme has only benefitted the insurance companies and not the farmers”.
Attacking the Government for cattle slaughter rules, Mr Singh said that due to this rule, farmers were unable to sell their livestock, which had become unviable, in the market. He also held demonetisation responsible for farmers’ distress in the country.
Prabhat Jha of the BJP said that the priority of the Narendra Modi Government was welfare of the farmers. During the past three years, the country had witnessed a record production of foodgrains, Mr Jha said.
In an apparent reference to the Congress, Mr Jha said that the party which ruled the country for maximum period, was responsible for the poor condition of farmers. He said it was the Modi Government that gave special focus to organic farming. (UNI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel