Banks to wean farmers away from moneylenders: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government has opened doors of banks for farmers to wean them away from moneylenders.

He said his government was committed to the welfare of farmers and the promise of providing a 50% profit on farm produce is already being implemented.

Modi spoke after unveiling a 64-feet-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram at his native village Sampla in Haryana's Rohtak district.

Modi’s public address assumes significance in the Jat-dominated belt, which is the stronghold and home turf of former Congress chief minister B S Hooda. The BJP had chosen a non-Jat leader, M L Khattar, to lead Haryana even as Jat’s constitute majority of the vote bank.

Modi said his government has increased the Minimum Support Price for 21 crops. He said under the government scheme, farmers will be compensated if they do not get proper prices for their crops in the market.

Messiah

Born in 1881, Sir Chhotu Ram was regarded as a messiah of peasants and farmers. He is credited with schemes that empowered farmers in the pre-Independence era. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and union minister Birender Singh, who is the maternal grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, among others, were present at the event.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda also attended. The tall statue has been sculpted by renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan-recipient Ram Vanji Sutar. Nearly 5,500 farmers of the state donated iron in small quantities for the construction of the statue.