Govt to host farmers welfare workshops tomorrow

In an outreach to farmers, the Modi government is organising 'Kisan Kalyan Karyashala' tomorrow at the block level across the country, with the BJP asking its MPs to attend the programme.

The workshops will be part of the ongoing 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan', which is being seen as the government's and ruling BJP's campaign to connect with scheduled castes and tribes, besides youths and farmers, by highlighting and expanding several welfare initiatives of the Modi dispensation.

The rural-centric campaign had started on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, and will end on May 5.

Sources said Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had written to MPs of all parties, asking them to attend one of the farmer workshops in their constituencies.

The event assumes significance amid reports of financial distress among farmers in parts of the country.

However, there are question marks over the participation of MPs from opposition parties, which have often accused the government of politicising such events.

"Opposition parties like the Congress have survived in power by denying development to people and are now feeling threatened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance model based on development. It is a travesty of people's mandate if elected representatives of the opposition refuse to join such people-oriented initiatives," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said.

Rao, a Rajya Sabha MP, claimed that the 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan' is the "world's largest" community outreach and beneficiary identifying programme.

Tomorrow's 'farmers welfare workshops' will also have participation from experts to explain strategies for doubling of farmers' income by 2022, a key promise made by Modi.

The exercise, Rao said, is a "gigantic" effort to take technology to farmers and encourage a two-way communication between experts and farmers to evolve solution to local problems. Progressive farmers will also be awarded, he said.