Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the BJP government at the Centre and in Haryana have been taking "farmer-friendly" decisions for the last eight years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the 13th instalment of over Rs 16,000 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), through direct benefit transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries.
"The central and state governments have been taking farmer-friendly decisions. For the last eight years, the minimum support price (MSP) is declared before the sowing season of crops so that the farmers can choose the crop sowing as per their choice and can increase their income," he said.
In a statement, Khattar alleged that the previous governments in the state used to mislead farmers in the name of MSP and the Swaminathan Commission. "But now the government has fixed a permanent formula for MSP and before the start of sowing season, farmers get to know the prices of crops for the procurement season and can sow crops accordingly," he said.
"The Haryana government had started giving Rs 12,000 per acre as compensation for crop loss due to natural calamities in 2015 itself, while the Swaminathan Commission had talked about giving Rs 10,000 per acre in its recommendations," Khattar said. The state government has now increased this amount to Rs 15,000 per acre, which is the highest in the country, the chief minister claimed.
Today, in the era of Information and Technology, farmers are using modern technology for their benefits, Khattar said. The farmers of Haryana, who contributed significantly to the Green Revolution to make the country self-sufficient in foodgrains, are today moving towards blue revolution (increasing fisheries production) and white revolution (increased milk production). (PTI)
