Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 22: All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson and Member Parliament PL Punia has said that a grave ‘agrarian crisis’ of unprecedented scale plagued the ‘Farm Sector’ , putting a question mark on India’s food security because of the anti-farmer policies of the Modi led Government at the Centre.
Addressing a press conference at PCC headquarters here today, Mr Punia who is also Chairman of the National Commission for Schedule Castes (SC), accused the Modi Government of being insensitive towards the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the country.
He said that the ordinance issued by the previous Congress Government which was allowed to be lapsed and not re-promulgated by the present BJP regime included the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance, 2014′, which envisaged speedy and expeditious disposal of SC/ST cases by an exclusive Special Court at District level, appointment of an exclusive Public Prosecutor and punishment for new offences like garlanding with footwear, compelling to dispose or carry human or animal carcasses, attempting to promote feeling of ill will against SCs/STs, imposing or threatening a social or economic boycott.
Mr Punia said that the funds for Scheduled Castes Sub Plan have been reduced by Rs 13,208 crore and for Tribal Sub Plan have been reduced by Rs 7,714 crore.
A year of Modi Government has unequivocally established one slogan across 125 crore Indians – ‘KISAN VIRODHI – NARENDRA MODI’. While Prime Minister is busy ‘beating drums’ and ‘playing violin’ from Japan to Mongolia, a grave ‘agrarian crisis’ of unprecedented scale plagues the ‘Farm sector’ today, putting a question mark on India’s food security. This epidemic catastrophe arises out of intentional indifference and cruel mal-governance of BJP-led NDA Government, which is deaf to the agony, anguish and request for help from the Indian farmer.
He pointed out that prices of all agricultural crops are witnessing a free fall. Government is unwilling to fix a fair ‘Minimum Support Price’ (MSP) for crops. Rampant black-marketing of urea/fertilizers/seeds is being promoted. Burden of unseasonal rains/hailstorms leading to destruction of over 200 lakh hectares (494 lakh acres) of Rabi crops is driving the farmer to suicide and bankruptcy. Extension of agricultural credit to farmers stands slashed by banks/financial institutions. Agricultural exports have dipped substantially and suddenly area under agricultural production has fallen. All this symbolizes the mal-governance of agriculture in one year by Modi Government.
BJP’s ex-National Kisan Morcha president and Haryana Agriculture Minister, OP Dhankar shamelessly calls debt-ridden farmers driven to suicides as ‘cowards’. Prominent BJP MP Sanjay Dhotre from Akola says “Let these farmers fend for themselves. If crop fails, they will figure out what to do. And if they die, let them die”.
PCC senior vice president Sham Lal Sharma, chief spokesman Ravinder Sharma, general secretaries Balwan Singh and Shah Mohammad were also present.
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