PM Narendra Modi said farmers had produced a record crop yield this year. (File photo)
Highlights
- PM Modi praises farmers for record production of food grains
- Comes after IMF pares India's growth projection over notes ban
- Congress says record production due to favourable weather
In the middle of election season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoided
any direct political reference in his Mann Ki Baat. But praising farmers for a record production of food grains, the Prime Minister indirectly answered his critics that the notes ban had badly affected the agriculture sector and slowed down the economy because of a cash crunch.
"There has been such bountiful crop this time in the fields of our farmers that every day has appeared to be a celebration of Pongal and Baisakhi. More than 2,700 lakh tonnes of food grains have been produced in the country this year. This is 8 per cent more than previous record set up by our farmers," said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister's assertion is significant as just two days ago, the International Monetary Fund or IMF had cut India's growth projection for the current year to 6.6 per cent from an earlier 7.6 per cent because of demonetisation.
"Agriculture makes a major contribution to the fundamentals of our country's economy. Economic prowess of villages imparts momentum to the nation's economic progress," said PM Modi.
The Congress insists a bumper crop is because of favourable weather conditions and the numbers don't reveal the plight of the farmers.
"There wouldn't been this crop if there was frost in Punjab or frost in Rajasthan. The actual pain of what farmers went through can't be measured by Mann Ki Baat. And the PM and his party will know when the results come out on March 11," said Manpreet Badal of the Congress party.