Chennai: Continuing its attack on the Centre over farmers' issues, NDA constituent PMK today asked how it could be a farmer's welfare government when the rise in interest rate of farm loans was more than the increase in procurement price of crops.
"How can the central government, which increased procurement prices only by 3 per cent but increased the interest rate for crop loans by 11 per cent, be a farmer's welfare government," party founder S Ramadoss said in a statement here.
Expressing grief over the death of Gajendra Singh, the farmer from Rajasthan suffering crop losses and who committed suicide at an anti-Land Bill rally of AAP in Delhi yesterday, he called for "dedicated action" from the prime minister to save agriculture.
"Prime Minister Modi had said in his condolence message that the suicide had shocked the whole nation. But what is expected of him is not condolence or grief but dedicated action to save agriculture," he said.
Ramadoss, who has been critical of the government including against its Land Acquisition bill which he wants to be defeated in Rajya Sabha, called for a new scheme to fix procurement prices at 50 per cent above cultivation costs, distribution of subsidised fertilisers, providing interest-free loans, and a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre when crops are damaged by rain or drought.
Taking a swipe at Uttar Pradesh government which had distributed paltry sums ranging between Rs 63 and Rs 112 to farmers suffering crop losses, Ramadoss expressed anger over the issue.
