Minimum Support Price and APMC Mandis will continue: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that the new farm laws will usher in development of the small and marginal farmers in the country. Replying in the Rajya Sabha yesterday to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Mr. Modi said, the farm laws aim at fulfilling the aspirations of over 12 crore small and marginal farmers. 

Highlighting a series of reforms and schemes introduced by the Centre, he said, the NDA Government remains committed to its promise of empowering the poor and farmers. Mr. Modi said, by increasing the ambit of Fasal Bima Yojana in 2014, claims worth 90 thousand crore rupees have been settled benefitting small farmers in the country.

   

He mentioned that nearly one lakh 15 thousand crore rupees have been directly transferred into the accounts of the farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme. The Prime Minister said that the Kisan Rail and Kisan Udan Scheme have been introduced by the government to help farmers reach out to larger and more profitable markets.

 

Taking a sharp jibe at the



Opposition’s demand of withdrawing the farm laws, Mr. Modi emphatically asserted that hindrances never help achieve development. He said not only the NDA Government but also the earlier regimes have time and again advocated for reforms in the agri sector.

The Prime Minister said, it is natural to witness differences whenever some revolutionary reform is introduced. Referring to similar agitations when the Green Revolution was implemented in the country, he thanked the undeterred belief of the former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri which, he said, led to the successful implementation of the game changing reforms.

The Prime Minister reassured everyone that Minimum Support Price (MSP) will continue and the new farm laws do not undermine the APMC Mandis in any way. He said that the budget this year has in fact laid special emphasis to modernize the APMC Mandis.

The Prime Minister also said that the affordable ration scheme benefitting over 80 crore people in the country will also continue.