PM Modi defends farm laws, cites record procurement of food grains

Making an informal electoral pitch for the high stakes 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday firmly defended the new farm laws citing the record procurement of food grains to buttress his pro-farmer narrative.

Addressing a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Modi underlined the central government was working proactively to improve the government procurement system and at the same time, giving more agri marketing options to farmers.

“The special fund of Rs 1 trillion announced by the Centre is aimed at integrating the country’s agricultural sector with modern infrastructure. This will modernise the existing agricultural ‘mandis’ in the country as well,” he added.

A section of farmers have been protesting near the Delhi borders against the new central farm laws, which they claim are detrimental to their interests and instead favour private players, who would in due course allegedly monopolise the domestic procurement process and fix sub optimal market rates for agri produce, including paddy, wheat and sugarcane.

However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP recently scored overwhelming victories in the rural centric panchayat polls despite the anti-farmer tirade mounted by the opposition parties over the farm laws.

Modi said the record procurement of paddy and wheat in the current season were testimony to the fact that the blueprint of the central government to empower the farmers was delivering the desired results.

He mentioned that the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) vision encompassed the agenda of promoting agricultural growth and empowering women.

The PM arrived in Varanasi this morning for a day’s visit to his constituency after a gap of more than 7 months. Earlier, he inaugurated or laid the foundation of development projects totalling Rs 1,583 crore, including an international convention centre with a seating capacity of 1,200.

Speaking at the IIT-BHU ground, Modi said while projects worth more than Rs 10,000 crore had already been dedicated to the people in Varanasi, additional projects worth Rs 8,000 crore were underway in the temple town.