New
Delhi, (the states. news)
In a major
outreach by the central government, PM Narendra Modi and several of his senior
cabinet colleagues on Friday hailed the agriculture reforms and invited
striking farmers for talks assuring that the farm laws would benefit them and
not cause any harm.
PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and
Environment and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, in
separate statements, invited the striking farmers for talks even as the farmers
remained stubborn demanding nothing less than the repeal of the three farm
laws.
Earlier in the afternoon the Prime Minister offered to hold talks with the
striking farmers ‘’on all issues with an open mind’’. He also released Rs 18000
crore to more than 9 crore beneficiary farmer families under the Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The amount was transferred directly into
the bank accounts of farmer families through video conferencing with the push
of a button.
‘’Today, more than Rs 18,000 crore have been directly deposited in the accounts
of farmers, no middlemen, no commissions…Due to our commitment towards farmers,
we are ready for discussions on all their issues with an open mind…Our
government is ready to talk to those opposing us as long as the discussion is
based on facts,’’ the Prime Minister said.
Home Minister Amit Shah, at a rally, hailed the central government’s farm
policies and said the three farm laws are in favour of farmers. Nobody could remove
the MSP system or snatch farmers’ land from them. ‘’The government is ready to
hold talks with farmers’ unions with an open heart’’
He accused the Opposition with misleading farmers regarding MSP and said the
Prime Minister is a well-wisher of the farmers. ‘’I want to make it clear that
the MSP system will remain,’’ he said and added that farmers had expressed
faith in agricultural reforms done by the Modi government with full enthusiasm.
“For the last 6 years, the Modi government has taken every decision
keeping the poor, farmers and the under privileged in mind. This has brought
positive changes in their lives. PM-KISAN is also one such unprecedented scheme
whereby Modi ji sends Rs 6000 to the accounts of farmers every year,” he
said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while appealing to striking farmers to talk
with the government, said that even if farmers wanted to bring specialists and
experts with them for the talks, the government would not have any objection.
He urged the farmers to let the laws be implemented for a couple of years and
if after that if they thought these laws were not favouring them, the
government could make required amendments. ‘’I’m sure as I know our PM’s
intention, we’ll make all the required amendments in it,’’ he added.
(uni) (media saheb.com)