 "Prime Minister Kisan Samman is an apaman for farmers: Yogendra Yadav")
The Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, far from being a samman, is an apaman for farmers. Frankly, it would have been all right if the government had made no declaration at all. After all, this was an interim Budget. I would have been happy if the government had simply supplied answers to some of the following questions:
How much has the farmers’ income increased in the first three years of the supposedly six-year mission to double the farmers income? Why has the government not declared the data on farmer suicides? How much procurement was done on the minimum support price under the much-celebrated PM Aasha scheme? Why has the coverage under PM Fasal Bima Yojana shrunk instead of increasing? What is the government doing about the menace of stray animals all over the country? Rs 6,000 per family per year amounts to an income support of Rs 500 per family a month. This is less than old age pension prevailing in at least more than half the states. This amounts to Rs 3.30 per day for a five-member family, not enough even for a cup of tea.
How much has the farmers’ income increased in the first three years of the supposedly six-year mission to double the farmers income? Why has the government not declared the data on farmer suicides? How much procurement was done on the minimum support price under the much-celebrated PM Aasha scheme? Why has the coverage under PM Fasal Bima Yojana shrunk instead of increasing? What is the government doing about the menace of stray animals all over the country? Rs 6,000 per family per year amounts to an income support of Rs 500 per family a month. This is less than old age pension prevailing in at least more than half the states. This amounts to Rs 3.30 per day for a five-member family, not enough even for a cup of tea.
Yogendra Yadav, National President Swaraj India
This is nowhere compared to Telangana’s package, of Rs 10,000 per acre per year. This scheme bears no relationship to the cost of cultivation or the household cost of farmers. It is also not clear how it can be implemented because there is no comprehensive database on farmers. Tellingly, the government wants to implement the scheme with retrospective effect. The idea that somehow an instalment of Rs 2,000 per family would make them forget the loot of farmers’ prices, the utter neglect during drought and the untold misery of notebandi, shows the sheer cynicism with which this government views farmers and their votes.
One subscription. Two world-class reads.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%