As protesting farmers mount pressure on the government to scrap a set of contentious farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address farmers across states on Friday and release the next batch of financial aid Rs 18,000 crore from the PM-Kisan scheme. The PM’s session with farmers is a part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s nationwide outreach to the farmers on December 25, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“Tomorrow’s day (Friday) is very important for the country’s Annadatas. Will get the opportunity to release the next installment of PM-Kisan for more than 9 crores farmer families through video conferencing at 12 pm. Will also interact with farmers of many states on this occasion,” the PM tweeted on Thursday.
The Centre is also expected to provide Rs 18,000 crore to 90 million farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme, an initiative of the Narendra Modi government to extend income support of Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 every four months.
In a letter to BJP functionaries across the country, a copy of which was accessed by HT, party general secretary Arun Singh listed a series of steps, including installation of large TV screens at the venues of farmers’ gatherings, so that the prime minister’s speech gets a wide viewership.
Singh told reporters on Thursday that the party has made arrangements for farmers’ participation on December 25 in more than 19,000 venues across the country, and the party’s members will also be present.
While one crore farmers will directly participate, over five crore of them will hear Modi’s speech, he added.
At the block level events, the party is planning to explain to farmers how the contentious three new laws, aimed at opening up trade in agriculture, are in their interest.
Party functionaries have been asked to detail measures put in place by the Centre to benefit farmers such as increases in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers’ produce, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana that insures their yields and the introduction of neem-coated ure to boost wheat and paddy production. Singh urged BJP workers to gather outside Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs), or government controlled mandis, and offices of cooperative organisations for farmers’ events, which would also be attended by the party’s elected representatives.
The new outreach to farmers will coincide with the completion of the first month of a sit-in protest by farmers who have massed at Delhi’s borders to demand a repeal of the three laws that they say will hurt their livelihoods.
