Arun Jaitley packs in a challenge for opposition in defence of farm income plan
Union minister Arun Jaitley on Friday hit out at the opposition Congress over its criticism on the budget and asked it not to shed crocodile tears for farmers.
“Please don’t shed crocodile tears today for farmers. If opposition also has several governments let them announce similar schemes. I’m sure other governments will also consider this,” said Jaitley during an interaction on interim Budget through video conferencing from New York.
Jaitley said the farm sector required resources and if the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme announced in the budget, which aims to placate small farmers by offering Rs 6,000 per year, is inadequate, the Centre will increase its allocation. The scheme aims to support around 12 crore farmers in the country.
“Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arrogance has destroyed the lives of our farmers. Giving them Rs. 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for,” Rahul had earlier written on Twitter.
Jaitley pointed out that the Congress-led UPA had announced Rs 70,000 crores as farm loan waiver but had spent only Rs 52,000 crores. He also noted that out of this Rs 52,000 crores, the CAG had found that a significant part of money went to traders and businessmen and not to farmers.
“Now look at what we’ve been doing. Rural roads — 91% completed. Rural housing, by 2022, everyone will have a roof. 98.7% people in rural areas now have sanitation. Every willing home is having electricity. Every man has switched over cooking methods,” he said.
Jaitley also recounted various programmes and schemes announced by the NDA government during their tenure.
Completely refuting the NSSO report that said unemployment was at 45-year post demonetisation, he said NSSO jobs data is not a report, it’s draft which has not been approved.
