The government had delivered on the promise of fixing Minimum Support Price (MSP) at 1.5 times the cost, the Prime Minister said

In the backdrop of farmers’ protest in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the new agricultural reforms have given farmers new options and new legal protection. At the same time, he said, the old system also continues if someone chooses to stay with that.

He said earlier, transactions outside the mandi were illegal but now the small farmer can take legal action on the transactions outside the mandi also.

Inaugurating the six-lane widening project of the Varanasi - Prayagraj section of NH-19 in Varanasi, the Prime Minister noted that the farmers would benefit greatly when modern connectivity expands in the area.

He said over the years, efforts have been made to create infrastructure like cold storage along with modern roads in the villages. A fund of 1 lakh crore rupees has also been created for this.

Hitting out at the opposition, the Prime Minister said earlier the decisions of the government were opposed but now the criticism is based on mere apprehensions. He said confusion is spread in society about what has not happened yet, which will never happen. He said these are the same people who have consistently tricked the farmers for decades.

With farmers expressing concerns that the new farm laws will eliminate the procurement of wheat and paddy under the minimum support price program, PM Modi said that the Government delivered on the promise of fixing MSP at 1.5 times the cost in line with the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission. This promise was not only fulfilled on paper but has reached the bank account of the farmers, he said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the government is spending crores of rupees to modernize the mandis. He said in the five years before 2014, pulses of around Rs 6.5 crores were procured from the farmer. But in the subsequent 5 years, pulses worth about Rs 49000 crore were procured, that is, about 75 times increase.

In the 5 years before 2014, paddy worth Rs 2 lakh crores were purchased. But in the subsequent 5 years, the government has passed 5 lakh crore rupees as MSP of paddy to the farmers. That is, almost two and a half times more money has reached the farmer. He added in the 5 years before 2014, farmers got around Rs. 1.5 lakh crore on the purchase of wheat. In the subsequent 5 years, wheat farmers have got Rs 3 lakh crores i.e. around 2 times.

The Prime Minister said decades of deceit make farmers apprehensive but now there is no deceit, work is being done with intentions as pure as Gangajal. He remarked that the truth of those who spread illusions based on mere apprehensions is being constantly exposed before the country.

When farmers understand their lies, then they start spreading lies on another subject. He added the government is also constantly answering those farmer families who still have some concerns. He expressed confidence that those farmers who have some doubts about agricultural reforms today, will also take advantage of these agricultural reforms in the future and increase their income.