Former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the “pro-farmer” twist to the Union Budget is “misleading”, as the ₹15,000-crore interest subsidy on farm credit is being clubbed to notch up the allocations to ₹35,900 crore.

Further, he asserted that the Budget has done “grave injustice” to the farmer by not giving a substantial raise to the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“Honestly, the Budget does not do justice to farming communities. The interest subsidy, which was shown under the Department of Financial Services, has been moved to the Department of Agriculture to make the tall claim that they have substantially increased allocations,” said Pawar. Pawar said the UPA had systematically worked on reducing interest on farm credit, which is at zero per cent in some States.

Pawar said at a time when rural distress is high and the farmers are suffering, the “most important” issue to be addressed was whether there will a substantial rise in MSPs.

“Towards that, we have seen no promise from a government that came to power on the claim that it will provide 50 per cent over and above the input cost to the farmer,” said Pawar.

Productivity levels

Pawar said the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) held a meeting of its national working committee to discuss upcoming elections in five States, as well as Budget proposals and emerging political situations in the country.

“When the UPA demitted office, India had become the biggest exporter of rice in the world; we were the second highest exporter of wheat and sugar. Productivity levels have fallen drastically in the last two years and we do not see any concrete steps by this government to address the farmers’ concerns,” said Pawar.

He said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “disparaging” remarks about MNREGA, he is happy to see that the allocations to the rural employment programme have been sufficiently made and the government is planning for irrigation and crop insurance.

“But I fail to see how the government claims it will double farmers’ income in five years. For that, the income raise per year has to be around 14 per cent. What it means is that agricultural prices will have to rise substantially. Yeh log menhgai ko nyota de rahe hai (They are inviting inflation),” said Pawar.

Condemns statements

According to the NCP Chief, as the government’s “tall promises” are being belied, the BJP is fast resorting to communally divide the country.

“We strongly condemn the statements being made at public meetings by Ministers in the Union Cabinet. The working committee of the NCP has passed a unanimous resolution against MoS, HRD, Ramshankar Kathiria in Agra,” said Pawar.