Govt attacked over farmers' suicides, demonetisation

Opposition today attacked the government in the Lok Sabha, voicing concern over suicides by farmers and contending that demonetisation has impacted the farmers.
Participating in a debate on Demand for Grants for Agriculture, the opposition members demanded debt waiver to ease the condition of the stressed farmers.

Congress member K Suresh said the country is faced with an agrarian crisis and demonetisation has made the situation worse as it badly impacted the credit flows for agricultural sector.

Severely critical of demonetisation of high-value currency, he said it has made agricultural credit societies almost defunct.

Suresh also criticized the government for poor maintenance of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the city.

He demanded immediate relief to farmers and said there was a need for improving quality of seeds and irrigation facilities.

Tapas Mandal (TMC) said demonetisation has affected farmers adversely and the government has not taken any steps to mitigate their problem.

Pointing out that the country is undergoing heavy agrarian crisis, Mandal said farmer suicides are rising.

"Agriculture is no more profitable enterprise...unless agriculture is made profitable the crisis will not go," he said.

Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena) said that despite good monsoon, ponds and river in Maharashtra are drying up.

He demanded that works related to farming should be included in the MNREGA.
Contending that most of the farmers are not getting the benefit of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce, he said the government should devise some policy so that it reaches them and make agriculture a profitable proposition.

He suggested that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana can be a tool through which difference in MSP and market price can be paid to the farmer.

K Nimmala of NDA ally TDP said certain policies of the government are not benefiting the farming community and there was a need to protect their allied sectors of agriculture.
Just like Maharashtra, he said, the government should also have a separate budget for the agri sector.

Praising the efforts of government in improving farm sector condition, Hukmdev Narayan Yadav (BJP) said "our Prime Minister's intentions are good."

Several steps have been taken by this government in the various sectors of farm sector including irrigation and warehousing and promoting traditional method of farming.