PM Modi addresses farmers today on the issue of farm laws protest. (File)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with farmers to allay their concerns related to the farm laws. PM Modi also released Rs 18,000 crore as next instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to the farmers. The Prime Minister enabled the transfer of the amount through the push of a button.
Several central ministers, MPs, MLAs and BJP office bearers are present among the electorate to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with farmers on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Here are the highlights of PM Modi's interaction with farmers:
Gagan from Arunachal
PM: How do use money received from PM Kisan Card
Ans: I use the money organic farming and medicine.
PM: How many farmers are working with you?
Ans. 446. We are growing ginger.
PM: What is your market?
Ans: We last time sold in Bengaluru and them Delhi.
PM: The company that buys ginger from you, does it also take away your land?
Ans: No sir, they don't take away the land. They only take away the ginger
PM: Yes, but there are some people who are spreading rumours that the company will also take away the land.
Naveen from Odisha
PM: Have you received a the Kisan credit card?
Ans: Yes, I have received the Kisan credit card. I am getting a loan at the interest rate of 4 per cent. Earlier, I used to get the from sahukaar (private lender) at the rate of 20%.
Ganesh Rajan Bhonsle Latur, Maharashtra
Ganesh: I am growing toor and soyabeen.
PM: What did you use to grow earlier?
Ans: I was doing the same. I also have cows and buffaloes.
PM: Have you taken fasal Bima scheme?
Ans: Yes, I have taken the scheme. Last year, I gave a premium of Rs 2,580. My crops got destroyed, I received Rs 53,000 as benefit.
Manoj Patidar Dhar, Madhya Pradesh
PM: Do you have Kisan credit card
Ans: Sir, I have
PM: Is there a difference in your life after the new farm laws?
Ans: Yes sir, we now have new option. Earlier, we could only sell to the mandi. I sold my produce to ITC this year. I liked that we were shown the quality of the product.
PM: Are you satisfied?
Ans: Yes.
PM: You are a farmer yourself, some leader are trying to impose their ideology on farmers. Is there something that these companies cheat with you and say that you produce is not good enough?
Ans: No, if they say so, we will not sell our produce to them.
PM: So you are completely satisfied.
Ans: Yes.
Ram Gulab, UP
Ram Gulab: We produce Dhan, Gehu, Sabzi.
PM: The firm from Ahmedabad that is buying from you, do they pay you full amount?
Ans: Yes sir, earlier we were selling at the rate of Rs 15. Now we are selling to this firm at the rate of Rs 25-30. And they take the produce from our home, we don't have to pay any travel expenses.
PM: That means you are benefitting due to these new laws. Are they taking away your land too?
Ans: No.
PM: This means they are spreading lies.
Here are the highlights of PM Modi's address:
- Atal-ji was the sutradhaar (starting point) of all the farm reforms this government is taking out today.
- Today, the money reaches directly the accounts of the people.
- Today, more than Rs 18,000 crore reached country's 9 crore people.
- More than Rs 1,10,000 have reached farmers since this scheme has started.
- Under the same scheme, Rs 18,000 were deposited in the accounts of these farmers. No cuts, no commission.
- The farmers of Bengal have been deprived of the benefits of the Centre's schemes. Bengal is the only state which is not allowing benefits of the schemes to reach the farmers.
- The same Bengal government that is opposing this benefit for the farmers, goes to Punjab and support farm protest, why is the Opposition silent on this?
- They are talking about APMC.. but there is no APMC in Kerala.. earlier, there was government that ruled country for 70 years (Congress) in Kerala.. then why was there no APMC. You have time to provoke Punjab farmers? First, bring APMC in Kerala.
- They can't run away by saying "Kisano ka apmaan kiya". But the farmers have woken up now. They won't be misguided. These (Congress) are the people who have ruled the country till yesterday.
- There are around 10 crore poor and small farmer in the country... no government ever worked from them. The governments used to come and go. They used to make false promises.
- Last year, the farmers were given around Rs 87,000 crore last year under Phasal Bima Yojana.
- Our government tried to give better rates to the farmers.. we implemented the Swaminathan committee report. We raised the ambit of the MSP. These people who are now protesting were sitting on the Swaminathan committee report.
- We have taken more than 1,000 mandis online... the farmers have started selling in these mandis.
- We have opened new agriculture institutions.
- We have started working for improving the lives of people living in the villages. These are the farmers that are who are getting pakka makaan (Pucca Houses) and free electricity.
- Friends, some people are worried about farmers' land. We have seen names of people who indulge land fraud in newspaper. Where were these people when the farmers' land were seized in absence of papers?
- Dear farmer, after these laws, you can sell you produce anywhere. You can sell your produce to businessman.. you can.. you want to export your produce... you can... you want to sell your produce at the MSP.. you can.
- If the farmers are getting these rights, what's wrong in that?
- Some people are spreading false news that MSP will end and Mandis will be shut. Have you seen any Mandis getting closed down after these laws were enacted.
- Agreement farming is there in many states, including Punjab. Earlier, there was a rule that farmers will be fined if there's breach of the agreement. We have ended this with new laws.
- Under the new laws, the buyers have to give a receipt to farmers within 3 days.
- We have to understand one more aspect of farm reforms: The one who will enter into an agreement with the farmers, would want best quality produce, so she will help the farmer if providing best quality products to the farmer.
- The one who enters agreement with farmers, can't break the agreement, but the famer has the right to end the agreement.
- Some political parties, rejected by the people in democratic manner, are firing from the farmers' shoulders.
- They are now coming up with various issues now.. now these people are demanding release of riot accused.. they are demanding the removal of toll plazas.
- We are ready to for talks.. there are leaders that don't even believe in democracy.. they have made unjust allegations on us... we are ready to talk to even these people.