Bills ‘rakhsha kavach’ to save interests of farmers, says Modi
Accusing the opponents of the agriculture Bills passed by the Lok Sabha of “standing with middlemen”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured farmers that the Government’s purchase of their produce and Minimum Support price (MSP) would continue. He asked them “not to be mislead by the lies” of those “who ruled the country for decades”.
Asserting that three Bills passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday were aimed at “reforming agriculture”, the Prime Minister said the legislation would “free” farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country and fetch them more returns. He said new moves by the Government would provide farmers with “rakhsha kavach” and save them from brokers.
“But a few people who ruled the country for decades are trying to mislead farmers and telling lies. They had promised about the reform in their manifesto but forgot after reforms and when the NDA implementing them, these people are creating misgivings,” Modi said on the occasion of inauguration of Kosi rail mega bridge in Bihar while addressing through video conference.
Without naming the Congress, Modi hit out at the Opposition party for “double crossing” farmers and creating “disinformation”.
Praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Modi said, “Nitish understood what damage Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), set up by States to regulate markets, had done to the farmers and “removed APMC Act in the State.”
“What path Nitish showed then is being followed by the nation,” the Prime Minister said referring to the bills to “free” farmers passed by the Lok Sabha.
On Thursday when the Lok Sabha passed two agriculture bills, Leader of the Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had, however, made a counter point saying condition of Bihar farmers turned “worse” after deregulation in the State and at the same time he said farmers in the regulated States of Punjab and Haryana fared better.
Referring to the Kosi rail bridge, the Prime Minister again credited it to Nitish who he said as Railway Minister started it and now given extraordinary connectivity to many areas of the State.
Modi inaugurated the 1.9 km ‘Kosi Mahasetu’ (mega-bridge) along with 12 other railway projects across Bihar. The mega bridge has been a much-awaited project for the people of Kosi and Mithilanchal regions who have waited for 86 years.
Modi said Bihar created history today in railway connectivity with the launch of “Kosi Mahasetu” and “Kiul Bridge” along with dozen other projects which will contribute to Railway electrification, promoting Make in India in Railways and more job creators.
“I would like to quote some facts about the speed with which work is being done on Bihar’s Railway network. Before 2014, only 125 crore new railway lines were started in Bihar. Whereas in the following 5 years, nearly 700 km of railway lines have been commissioned,” said the Prime Minister, adding the State would witness similar progress in the power sector in coming days. Bihar is to go to polls in October-November.
