PM Modi formally launched the PM-KISAN scheme yesterday. The scheme extends to small and marginal farmer families having total land under cultivation up to two hectares. The object underlying the scheme is to provide income support to small and marginal farmers and to alleviate their financial stress. Under this scheme, Rs. 6,000 will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiary farmers in three installments, making PM-KISAN a massive DBT scheme.
PM Modi launched the Rs. 75,000 crore scheme and distributed the first installment of Rs. 2,000 under the scheme to over 1 crore farmers on his visit to Gorakhpur and Prayagraj yesterday. The Prime Minister also took a dig at the previous UPA government and said, “Previous governments used to make farmers cry out for small benefits…they could never work for farmer’s benefit. Our govt has worked for the poor and farmers…we have worked hard to ensure that every help is extended to farmers so that by 2022 they can double their income.”
It seems that the opposition has not taken this scheme, which is going to empower small farmers in a big way, very well. Senior Congress leader, P. Chidambaram attacked the Modi government over this issue and tweeted, “The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes.” Accusing the government of bribing them, Chidambaram labeled the scheme as “Cash for Vote”.
The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 24, 2019
Congress clearly has a very short memory. While Chidambaram accused the Modi government of bribing the farmers in order to make electoral benefits, the Congress has forgotten how the party has itself used them as an electoral tool in the recent past. In the recent assembly elections, the Congress had promised farm loan waivers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. At that time, the Congress had repeatedly labeled the Modi government of promoting anti-farmer policies and had promised to end farm woes by launching big bang farm loan waivers. In fact, Congress has survived since independence with the support of populist policies and lucrative promises. Congress has been in the habit of making unrealistic promises before every major election and promising freebies left, right and centre. It is, therefore, bizarre that Chidambaram could see red only in the PM-KISAN scheme.
It is shameful how the Congress has come out attacking the PM-KISAN scheme. This major DBT scheme is going to be a gamechanger and is going to come as a matter of huge relief for the farmers going through a period of distress. The Congress leader has insulted the farmers of the country by indirectly calling them ‘bribe takers’. Whenever elections are around the corner, the Congress claims that it cares for the country’s farmers and also attacks Modi government’s policies as being anti-farmer. The grand old party has consistently promised to end farm woes, however, now that the Modi government has taken a big step in the right direction, the Congress has started criticising the government. This shows that Congress does not care for them and their welfare. Farmers are nothing more than an electoral tool for Congress. As long as the farmers help it in garnering votes, the Congress pretends to care about them but deserts them when convenient to do so.
