Will garland Rahul if he can distinguish between plants of paddy, barley and wheat: BJP Kisan Morcha president
The BJP Sunday said the timing of government launching any welfare scheme should not be questioned as no time frame can be attached in advance to such measures.
The BJP Sunday said the timing of government launching any welfare scheme should not be questioned as no time frame can be attached in advance to such measures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
BJP Kisan Morcha president and Bhadohi MP Virendra Singh Mast said, "It is wrong to say that the government is reminded of farmers during the election season only. There is no time frame decided in advance for taking any welfare step. The opposition parties have nothing to say." In an interview, Mast told PTI that a number of farmers welfare schemes were launched by the government in the past nearly five years. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh had termed the scheme, announced in the interim budget, as a mere "eyewash" and said it would not reach the genuine beneficiaries.
President of Rashtriya Kisan Manch Shekhar Dixit had also questioned the intention and the reach of the scheme.
Mast said, "It is amazing that those who had not even given even six paise for agriculture, are now questioning the move by the government to give Rs 6,000 a year to the farmers (under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana). By the end of February, the farmers will start getting the money in their accounts," he said.
Mast also challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi to differentiate among various crops.
"He cannot distinguish among the plants of paddy, barley, wheat and (maize). If he is able to distinguish the plants, I will garland and welcome him.
Will garland Rahul if he can distinguish between plants of paddy, barley and wheat: BJP Kisan Morcha president
"Somebody might have told him that if he speaks against the prime minister, he will become a national leader," Mast alleged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday launched the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers.
Launching the scheme from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, the prime minister said the first instalment of money under the scheme has been deposited in accounts of 1.01 crore farmers and those who didn't get it on Sunday will get it in due course.
"This is your money and no one will be able to take it from you," he told the farmers.
The prime minister said the scheme has been made foolproof so that no one can take away the right of the farmers.
There is no role of middleman in this scheme, he said.
In the interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares.