New agricultural reforms have given farmers new options, legal protection: PM Narendra Modi

PM Modi stated that the promise of giving 1.5 times more MSP to farmers as per Swaminathan Commission was fulfilled.

Varanasi: Amid the protests across Delhi-NCR from the past few days against the new agricultural reforms, PM Narendra Modi on Monday (November 30, 2020) said that these laws have given farmers new options and legal protection. 

"New agricultural reforms have given farmers new options and new legal protection. Earlier, transactions outside the market were illegal. Now the small farmer can also take legal action on every deal that is out of the market. The farmer has now got new options and legal protection from fraud," said PM Modi during a visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

नए कृषि सुधारों से किसानों को नए विकल्प और नए कानूनी संरक्षण दिए गए हैं।

पहले मंडी के बाहर हुए लेनदेन ही गैरकानूनी थे।

अब छोटा किसान भी, मंडी से बाहर हुए हर सौदे को लेकर कानूनी कार्यवाही कर सकता है।

किसान को अब नए विकल्प भी मिले हैं और धोखे से कानूनी संरक्षण भी मिला है: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

PM Modi said that the farmers are being empowered by giving them options for a bigger market and reforms are being done in the interest of farmers, which will give them more options. 

The Prime Minister stated that India's agricultural products are famous all over the world and asked, "Shouldn't a farmer get the freedom to sell his produce directly to those who give them better prices and facilities."

भारत के कृषि उत्पाद पूरी दुनिया में मशहूर हैं।

क्या किसान की इस बड़े मार्केट और ज्यादा दाम तक पहुंच नहीं होनी चाहिए?

अगर कोई पुराने सिस्टम से ही लेनदेन ही ठीक समझता है तो, उस पर भी कहां रोक लगाई गई है?: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

He said that the promise of giving 1.5 times more MSP to farmers as per Swaminathan Commission was fulfilled and that this promise was not only fulfilled on paper but has reached the bank account of the farmers.

हमने वादा किया था कि स्नामीनाथन आयोग की सिफारिश के अनुकूल लागत का डेढ़ गुणा MSP देंगे।

ये वादा सिर्फ कागज़ों पर ही पूरा नहीं किया गया, बल्कि किसानों के बैंक खाते तक पहुंचाया है: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

"Governments make policies, make laws and regulations. If policies and laws are supported, then some questions are also natural. It is a part of a democracy," said PM Modi.

Criticizing the opposition, he 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.

The Prime Minister said that earlier, the MSP was declared, but a very meagre MSP purchase used to take place. "This deception went on for years. Large loan waiver packages were announced in the name of farmers, but they did not reach the small and marginal farmers. He added big schemes were announced in the name of farmers but earlier regimes themselves believed that out of 1 rupee, only 15 paisa reached the farmer, which is deceit in the name of schemes," said PM.

Prime Minister Modi 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 49,000 crore were procured, that is, about 75 times increase.

"In the 5 years prior to 2014, paddy worth Rs 2 lakh crores were purchased. But in the subsequent 5 years, we have 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," stated PM Modi.

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.

Boosting infrastructure for Kashi and the entire UP. https://t.co/0ueFXtVr9w — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 30, 2020

He asked why the Government would spend so much if the mandis and the MSP were to be dismantled and stressed that the Government is spending crores of rupees to modernize the mandis.

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'. 

PM Modi said that the government is constantly answering the farmers who still have some concerns and questions.

"I am confident, farmers who have some doubts on agricultural reforms today, will also take advantage of these agricultural reforms in future and increase their income," expressed the Prime Minister.

जिन किसान परिवारों की अभी भी कुछ चिंताएं हैं, कुछ सवाल हैं, तो उनका जवाब भी सरकार निरंतर दे रही है।

मुझे विश्वास है, आज जिन किसानों को कृषि सुधारों पर कुछ शंकाएं हैं, वो भी भविष्य में इन कृषि सुधारों का लाभ उठाकर, अपनी आय बढ़ाएंगे: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

PM Modi's comments came following the ongoing protests against these three new laws - The Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.