Stating that the Congress ruled the country for maximum time after independence, BJP Kissan Morcha National President Vijay Pal Singh Tomar held it responsible for the present plight of the farmers.
Addressing media persons at party headquarters at Trikuta Nagar, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar said that the Congress remained in power on its own or in alliance at the Centre for decades but unfortunately its anti-farmer programmes and policies forced the migration of the farmers to towns and cities for earning livelihood.
Tomar said that the farmers, who earlier constituted 82 per cent of the country’s population has reduced to merely 62 per cent. The migration of the farmers to cities, because of lack of infrastructure, irrigation facilities and quite reduced income agriculture were posing great challenges. The agriculture had become unprofitable job because of the wrong policies, which were anti-farmer during the Congress rule for most of the period after independence. Thus the farmers were being compelled to commit suicide because of unimaginable loan burden on their heads. He narrated that the NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee had initiated the job of connecting the rivers not only to curtail the floods but also to provide sufficient water for irrigation purpose throughout the country. But the scheme was abandoned during the Congress rule of past 10 years.
Terming the present BJP-led NDA government as pro-farmers, Tomar said that many decisions have been taken with the objective of ensuing early and maximum compensation of crop losses caused by natural calamities.
He further added that looking at the poor conditions of the farmers and with a view to raise their income and standard of living a number of pro-farmer steps have been initiated by the present NDA government led by Narendra Modi. The steps taken includes Deen Dayal Gramin Vidyut Yojana, PM Fasal Beena Yojana, Kissan Credit Card, drive to dig new ponds and tube wells, construction of toilets in the village, providing free gas connection to the poor villagers etc.
Vijay Pal Singh Tomar said that Narendra Modi has assured electricity in every village by 2018, which would be a great achievement.
Morcha State President Rajinder Singh Chib, Vice-President Pavinder Gupta, Morcha General Secretaries Capt. Kasturi Lal Sharma and Sunil Dutt Sharma were also present in the press conference.
