BJP Women's Wing National President, Vanathi Srinivasan alleged that the TN Government's agriculture budget had been prepared with the intention of deceiving farmers with rhetoric and empty announcements.
Coimbatore: BJP Women's Wing National President and Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has alleged that the agriculture budget provides no solutions to the farmers' problems.
"The Tamil Nadu Government's agriculture budget, as usual, is full of rhetoric. The Agriculture Minister has read out the policy notes and announcements that will be presented in the Assembly during the demand for grants as a budget. The budget was addressed wearing a green towel. There is nothing new in the budget except gifting millets instead of bouquets to the Chief Minister," slammed Vanathi Srinivasan.
"Due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this year has been declared as the World Millet Year. Announcements like millets at a cost of Rs. 82 crore, millets in ration shops, etc., are welcome. These should not be just announcements, but should be implemented in its entirety. There is no solution in the budget to solve the real problems of the farmers.
According to the budget, the area under cultivation and production has increased. But in practice, even for essential commodities like rice, pulses, oilseeds, big onions and vegetables, we have to depend on other states. Only if the income of farmers increases will their problems come to an end. For that, there should be a fair price for the produce," she added.
The BJP Coimbatore South MLA further added, "When production increases, there should be Government schemes to store and convert it into value-added goods. There are no concrete plans in the budget for this. If the ration shops provide coconut oil instead of palm oil, the miserable life of lakhs of coconut farmers will come to an end.
This demand was put forward by Chief Minister M K Stalin when he was earlier the Leader of the Opposition. Pointing out this, I have repeatedly urged the Assembly and outside that instead of palm oil in ration shops, coconut oil should be provided. That demand was not accepted."
"The millets announced to be distributed at ration shops should be procured from the farmers of Tamil Nadu. Due to urbanization, all the cultivable lands in Tamil Nadu are being converted into residential plots and buildings. Water bodies are also being encroached upon. If this is not put to an end, we will have to depend on other States for all food items in the future.
The DMK does not seem to have realised this danger. The farmers are demanding Rs. 5,000 per tonne of sugarcane and Rs. 3,000 per quintal of paddy. If this is done, half of the farmers' problems will be solved.
However, the procurement price has been increased only nominally. Farmers do not procure all the paddy produced by them. Farmers have been continuously alleging that paddy is not being taken due to moisture. There are no solutions to.this in the budget. All in all, the budget has been prepared with the intention of deceiving the farmers with rhetoric and empty announcements.
The DMK Government's agriculture budget is similar to a person who went out to buy vegetables but got only curry and coriander leaves," mocked Vanathi Srinivasan.
"The Tamil Nadu Government's agriculture budget, as usual, is full of rhetoric. The Agriculture Minister has read out the policy notes and announcements that will be presented in the Assembly during the demand for grants as a budget. The budget was addressed wearing a green towel. There is nothing new in the budget except gifting millets instead of bouquets to the Chief Minister," slammed Vanathi Srinivasan.
"Due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this year has been declared as the World Millet Year. Announcements like millets at a cost of Rs. 82 crore, millets in ration shops, etc., are welcome. These should not be just announcements, but should be implemented in its entirety. There is no solution in the budget to solve the real problems of the farmers.
According to the budget, the area under cultivation and production has increased. But in practice, even for essential commodities like rice, pulses, oilseeds, big onions and vegetables, we have to depend on other states. Only if the income of farmers increases will their problems come to an end. For that, there should be a fair price for the produce," she added.
The BJP Coimbatore South MLA further added, "When production increases, there should be Government schemes to store and convert it into value-added goods. There are no concrete plans in the budget for this. If the ration shops provide coconut oil instead of palm oil, the miserable life of lakhs of coconut farmers will come to an end.
This demand was put forward by Chief Minister M K Stalin when he was earlier the Leader of the Opposition. Pointing out this, I have repeatedly urged the Assembly and outside that instead of palm oil in ration shops, coconut oil should be provided. That demand was not accepted."
"The millets announced to be distributed at ration shops should be procured from the farmers of Tamil Nadu. Due to urbanization, all the cultivable lands in Tamil Nadu are being converted into residential plots and buildings. Water bodies are also being encroached upon. If this is not put to an end, we will have to depend on other States for all food items in the future.
The DMK does not seem to have realised this danger. The farmers are demanding Rs. 5,000 per tonne of sugarcane and Rs. 3,000 per quintal of paddy. If this is done, half of the farmers' problems will be solved.
However, the procurement price has been increased only nominally. Farmers do not procure all the paddy produced by them. Farmers have been continuously alleging that paddy is not being taken due to moisture. There are no solutions to.this in the budget. All in all, the budget has been prepared with the intention of deceiving the farmers with rhetoric and empty announcements.
The DMK Government's agriculture budget is similar to a person who went out to buy vegetables but got only curry and coriander leaves," mocked Vanathi Srinivasan.