PM Modi urges people to read e-booklet highlighting how agro-reforms help farmers

Amid a deadlock between the Centre and protesting farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged people to read and share widely an e-booklet issued by the government highlighting how the recent agro-reforms help farmers.

The government has issued an e-booklet in English and Hindi highlighting the success stories of farmers who have benefited from the reforms enacted in September.

"There is a lot of content, including graphics and booklets that elaborate on how the recent Agro-reforms help our farmers. It can be found on the NaMo App Volunteer Module’s Your Voice and Downloads sections. Read and share widely," the prime minister tweeted sharing snapshots of pages from the Hindi version of the booklet.

Later, he also tagged the English version of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's open letter to farmers and said do read it out "to our hardworking farmer sisters and brothers".

"The letter elaborately explains aspects relating to the agricultural reforms and how they will benefit farmers," Modi said.

Tomar, in an eight-page open letter to farmers, had said on Thursday that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and stressed that the new agri laws are aimed at benefiting small and marginal farmers.

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at Delhi borders against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Five rounds of formal talks have been held between the government and 40 farmer unions to break the deadlock.

The unions, however, are demanding a complete rollback of the central laws. The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Last week, the Centre had sent a proposal to these unions, stating that it would give a written assurance that the minimum support price (MSP) system will remain and also redress their other key concerns, but it failed to break the stalemate.