PM Modi's claims on MSP 'incorrect', says Samyukt Kisan Morcha
Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Aug, 2021 10:26 AM
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Wednesday claimed that the Independence Day announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been increased by 1.5 times is incorrect and the announced MSP is not being realised by all farmers despite his commitment in the Parliament.
"Farmers of the country have realised fully that they cannot depend on the Prime Minister's hyped claims, false promises and spin-narratives, or his 'jumlas'. The hollow claims around remunerative Minimum Support Prices (MSP) stands exposed fully, in addition to the jumla on 'doubling farmers' incomes'," a release from the Morcha said.
"The undependable statements of the Prime Minister lie exposed when we look at the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) reality, more than a year after the pompous announcement. AIF is a 13-year scheme with disbursements till 2023-24. As on August 6, 2021, only Rs 4,503 crore has been sanctioned under AIF for 6,524 projects including 'in-principle' sanctions (4.5 per cent of the so-called 'sanction' announced last year itself). As per a Rajya Sabha response on July 23, 2021, only Rs 746 crore has been disbursed (0.75 per cent of the grand announcement)," the Morcha claimed.
On the 'National Mission on Edible Oils and Oil Palm' with an outlay of Rs 8,844 crore announced on Wednesday, the release said that the emphasis on oil palm cultivation is of concern to many, from health and environmental points of view, apart from corporations such as Patanjali ready to capture the market. "What is striking, however, is that Modi government's mission on edible oils has no solutions placed on the market front for the farmers," it said.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha also warned that Punjab farmers' unions have announced a protest on Thursday during which they will block rail and road traffic on Jalandhar Highway, as sugarcane farmers of the state have been agitating for payment of pending arrears of more than Rs 200 crore due to them from the last crushing season.
Two terrorists and an associate have been killed in an encounter that began on Saturday morning in Awantipora, a city in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. As of this writing, a search operation was still ongoing.
In India more than 23,000 people have, or have had, the new coronavirus, central health ministry data showed on Friday. More than 700 of those infected have died -- a dreadful total, but a relatively low number compared to fatalities in other countries facing outbreaks. India is currently under an extended lockdown til May 3rd that was imposed last month to contain the spread of the virus, which is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets.
Two people have been arrested for attacking prominent journalist Arnab Goswami and his wife. A FIR has been registered at the NM Joshi Marg Police station. Goswami in his complaint to the police has alleged that he and his wife were attacked by Youth Congress workers when they were driving back home from the Republic TV Headquarters in Worli.
A "major digital transformation" is coming to a one of fastest developing countries in the world. Facebook is committed to "opening commerce opportunities for people across India", founder Mark Zuckerberg said this morning, a day after the social media powerhouse invested $5.7 billion in Reliance Industries Ltd-owned mobile telecom company Reliance Jio.
The men accused of killing three men in Palghar have been arrested and are in jail. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on he has spoken to Union home minister Amit Shah and assured him that he would look into the case. More than 100 people are in custody. The attack took place at a spot close to Mumbai.
Covid-19 death toll has reached 507 deaths in India while confirmed cases surpassed 15,000. On Sunday 44 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Rajasthan, while in Agra 45 more cases were confirmed. In Lucknow, 43 more people tested positive for the virus.
