‘Budget 2019 Rubs Salt in Farmers’ Wounds’: Yogendra Yadav

“Modiji, please remunerate them with a share at least equivalent to a cup of tea,” Yadav said.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme is likely to benefit 12 crore farmers and will cost the exchequer 75,000 crores.

(Photo: The Quint/ Kaushiky Kashyap)

One of the big-ticket announcements made by the Modi government in its interim Budget is its plan to allocate about Rs 75,000 crore for farmers through the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

The move, to be funded entirely by the Union government, is likely to benefit 12 crore farmers. In its announcement, the government claimed that farmers will not need to approach moneylenders and claimed it is a major step towards doubling farmers’ incomes.

To what extent will this move bring relief to the farmers?

Speaking to The Quint on farmers’ grievances, Swaraj Abhiyan President Yogendra Yadav claimed that budget 2019 has turned out to be a “disappointment”.

Through the budget, the government is again trying to “blow its own trumpet”, Yadav said in his reaction to the announcement.

“The government has saved itself from giving us an estimate of the last five years. With such a small amount, the government will not be able to create any change. This is an insult to farmers’ contribution,” the political leader remarked.

“In the name of Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, it was announced that farmers will be given Rs 6,000 every year. In simple terms, if there is a family of say 5 people, then each person’s share is Rs 3.33 per day. Modiji, you are known for ‘chai par charcha.’ At least remunerate them with a share equivalent to cup of tea.”

Yogendra Yadav speaking at the Jai Kisan event

‘2019 Budget Not in Farmers’ Favour’: Aveek Saha

Jai Kisan representative Aveek Saha called the budget a mere ‘jumla’.

He said that by allocating 500 rupees per month every month through Prime Minister Kisan Samman Yojana is not an honour but an insult to farmers. “There was nothing in this budget for the good of the farmers,” he said.

‘Questions Over MSP, Crop Insurance, Income Remain Unanswered’: Farmers at Jai Kisan Event

In Shikohpur village of Haryana, farmers from eight states had gathered to listen to the discussion over the interim Budget. He described the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Yojana as a scheme that “rubs salt into the wounds of farmers”.

Under this scheme, Rs 6,000 in three instalments will be directly deposited into the accounts of farmers owning 2 hectares of land or less.

“The government has not even discussed the outstanding amount of over Rs 11,000 crore on sugarcane farmers,” Yogesh Pandey of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana remarked. Several crucial questions related to income, MSP, crop insurance, and loan waiver remain unanswered, the farmers claimed.

(The story was first published on Quint Hindi and has been translated.)