Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of “cheating” farmers in the name of various schemes, charging that the central government was working against the interests of the farming community.

Rathore said PM Crop Insurance Scheme and Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme will prove biggest scams of the country as only those persons who were associated with BJP were given benefits of these schemes, though they were ineligible for these. “PM Crop Insurance Scheme that was launched in 2016, is the biggest scam as the Central government launched the schemes in collusion with insurance companies under which farmers of the state and the country have been duped of crores of rupees. PM Modi government claims to provide monetary relief in case of loss to crops owing to natural calamities as drought and flood and is providing premium money to these companies. The insurance companies, however, have failed to give adequate monetary relief on crop loss to farmers which resulted in these companies earning crores of rupees and now the farmers are feeling duped under the scheme,” he added.

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State Congress chief further stated that scam worth rupees crore had been unearthed in PM Crop Insurance and Kisan Samman Nidhi Schemes which had laid bare the anti-farmer stance of the BJP led Central government. He demanded a high level probe into alleged irregularities in these schemes and said the Central government should ensure that farmers were given due monetary relief under the Crop Insurance Scheme. On the other, thousands of farmers since the last 45 days were protesting on roads against three farm bills but the Centre government was mere mockery of the protest in the name of holding discussions, he said.

“So far, over 60 farmers have died in the protests but the Central government isn’t serious on issues related to farming community and it is for the very first time, the farmers have sacrificed their lives to secure rights,” he said. Rathore said the new farm bills were passed in a hurry to benefit few businessmen while these laws had neglected the rights of farming community in the country. “Congress party stands with farmers in fight against the PM Modi government and will continue to support their protest till these anti-farmer laws aren’t repealed,” he added.