Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Sunday the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi led Union government is taking steps to ensure the welfare of the farmers.
Singh said that during five years before Modi government came to power, the budget earmarked for agriculture was only Rs 1.21 Lakh Crore while the present Central government has made budget provision of Rs 2.11 Lakh Crore for agriculture.
“This shows how much the Modi government is committed for the welfare of the farming community,” he said speaking at the third Agri Leadership Summit- 2018 in Rohtak. He claimed that the Modi government has initiated ‘income based schemes’ which would help the farmers in enhancing their income.
Lashing out at the Congress, though without naming it, Singh said that they accuse BJP of talking about 2022, the target fixed by PM to double the farmer’s income and say that why we are not talking about 2016 or 2017.
Singh reminded the people that it was the same Congress which had claimed way back in 1980 that 21st century will see ‘New India’, “but where have those claims gone now?”.
He said that farmers will have first right on the government’s exchequer, the present government is working with this aim. The Minister said that in addition to the budget allocated to Agriculture sector, Rs 5000 crore has been allocated for micro-irrigation.
Similarly, the government has created separate Dairy Infrastructure and Development Fund of Rs 10,800 crore and made provision of Rs 7,000 Crore for promoting pisciculture, he said.