Exclusive Interview | There Was an Unsuccessful Attempt to Create a Perception, Says Amit Shah on Farmers’ Protest

Loans to the tune of around Rs 35,000 crore have been waived off benefitting 86 lakh farmers while 2.84 crore farmers have benefitted under the Pradhan Mantri Samman Nidhi Scheme, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said in an exclusive interview to Rahul Joshi, Group Editor-in-Chief, Network18.

“We have waived farm loans worth Rs 35,000 crore of around 86 lakh farmers. We have purchased almost 435 lakh metric tonne fertiliser from farmers and Rs 80,000 crore has been directly transferred to farmers for that. Around 2.84 crore farmers have benefitted under Pradhan Mantri Samman Nidhi, with Rs 6,000 transferred to them every year. And Rs 32,500 crore have been transferred till now," Amit Shah said.

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“Under the PM Kisan Fasal Bima Yojana, 25,60,000 lakh farmers have been compensated Rs 2,200 crore till now. Almost 2 crore farmers have received the kisan credit card," he added.

Farmers form a significant voting bloc in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh that are part of the ongoing Assembly elections 2022. Asked about the impact of last year’s farmers’ protests against the now-repealed agri-marketing laws, Shah said, “There was an attempt at creating a perception but they were not successful."

The Narendra Modi government had also laid special emphasis on farmers in the Union Budget 2022, prioritising technology, innovation and use of kisan drones.

PM Modi had on February 19 also flagged off 100 kisan drones in different parts of the country for spraying pesticides and other farm materials. He said ‘kisan drones’ are the beginning of a new revolution and that farmers can use high-capacity drones in the coming times to transport their produce like fruits, vegetables and flowers to markets in a minimal time, boosting their income.

“This is a new chapter in providing modern farming facilities in the 21st century, and not only will it prove to be a milestone in the development of the drone sector but also open infinite possibilities," he said.

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