PM Kisan 24th Installment: Bihar Leaders Highlight Farm Support
Patna, October 30: Bihar ministers Santosh Suman, Shreyasi Singh and Vijay Sinha have called the 24th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi a major step toward giving farmers dignity and economic stability.
The ministers maintained that the Centre is not placing any economic burden on farmers. They said the government is working to improve the farmers' position through technology, agro-based industry and direct financial support. During the same interaction, they described the opposition's allegations on the farmers' issue as politics meant to create confusion.
The ministers also gave their reactions to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's comment on India's economic growth, the cancellation of Anant Singh's bail, and the results of the Bihar Legislative Council polls.
Santosh Suman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps to respect farmers and link them to technology. He said the launch of several schemes from Banaskantha in Gujarat, along with the transfer of Samman Nidhi amounts to farmers' accounts, is part of this effort. He said farmers are the food providers of the country. Whether it is a dairy farm or other agricultural methods, he said, it is necessary to connect farmers with technology. In his view, this is providing both financial assistance and respect to farmers. He thanked the Prime Minister and said Bihar is also moving forward on the path of development together with the nation.
On opposition charges that farmers are being burdened, Suman said that despite the global crisis and the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the government has not placed any extra burden on farmers. He said the opposition is questioning a marginal rise in fertilizer prices. He claimed the Prime Minister has clarified that urea, which is being reported at up to Rs 3,000 in some places, is being made available to farmers for around Rs 300 to 350. Likewise, he said, other fertilizers that cost Rs 5,000 in some areas are being provided to farmers at about Rs 1,300. He accused the opposition of spreading confusion and disorder about farmers' interests.
Responding to Revanth Reddy's remarks on India's economic growth, Suman said many countries are witnessing an economic slowdown, but India's GDP growth is moving ahead. He said the country is making good use of its large population and workforce. He called the gradual move toward becoming the third largest economy an important achievement and said the resolve for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 is connected with this economic progress.
On the cancellation of Anant Singh's bail, Suman said the matter is for the court to decide. He said the court's decision would have been taken under judicial and constitutional procedures, so it would not be proper to comment on it.
Minister Shreyasi Singh said Prime Minister Modi has transferred the 24th installment of the Kisan Samman Nidhi to farmers' accounts through DBT. She said the government's goal is to honour farmers and improve their economic condition. To build a developed and prosperous Bihar as part of a developed India, she said, farmers must be given due respect and economic strength.
She said that under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's leadership, the industries department is implementing food processing schemes on the ground. These schemes, she said, benefit not just entrepreneurs and industrialists but also local farmers. Efforts to restart old sugar mills are being made and have largely succeeded. Mentioning the arrival of Asia's largest ethanol plant in Bihar, she said farmers' economy is improving through industry and food processing.
Minister Vijay Sinha said more than Rs 18,600 crore has been sent under the 24th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to the accounts of 9 crore 34 lakh farmers across the country. He said Rs 1,476 crore has been transferred directly to the accounts of 73 lakh farmers in Bihar. He described this as a move that boosts farmers' confidence.
Sinha said about 76 percent of Bihar's population relies on agriculture and that 94 to 95 percent of farmers in the state are small or marginal. For them, he said, the Prime Minister's assistance is a boon. He also stressed promoting natural farming, saying the campaign is important for creating a fertilizer- and pesticide-free environment and keeping the country healthy.
Attacking the opposition, Sinha said the government is working to make farmers stronger, increase youth participation in agriculture and generate employment, while the opposition is doing negative politics. He accused Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and other opposition leaders of creating an atmosphere against the country's development. He said the opposition should instead run positive campaigns on issues such as drug menace, natural farming and job creation. He alleged that the opposition's only goal is to seize power and that it tries to exert pressure on constitutional bodies and office holders. He said the country will not accept such politics any longer.
On the cancellation of Anant Singh's bail, Sinha said the court's decision is supreme and everyone must respect it. He said those who believe in the Constitution respect the decisions of constitutional institutions.
On the outcome of the Bihar MLC elections, Sinha said the people's mandate is important. He said the people of Bihar are moving beyond caste-based politics and are supporting those who work with a spirit of service to enhance the state's prestige. He said Bihar is advancing on the path of new change.
Reacting to the RJD's statement on ballot paper elections, Sinha said the people are the real owners and their verdict must be accepted. He accused the opposition of applying double standards, saying Congress did not win a single seat in the ballot paper elections yet the opposition is agitating. He said that when the BJP wins, the opposition raises questions, and when it wins, it presents the result as its own achievement. He said people who trust the public and the Constitution understand this attitude.