Nagpur/Mumbai: At a time when the entire nation is fuming with the fire of JNU politics targeting the BJP government at the Centre, a BJP MP from North Mumbai added to the government’s embarrassment by coming up with the most ironical statement on farmers’ suicide. He said that farmers are increasing committing suicide not because of hunger and unemployment but due to fashion trend. His statement has drawn staunch criticism from various political circles.
BJP MP from North Mumbai Gopal Shetty said, “All farmer suicides are not only because of hunger and unemployment. There is a fashion, a trend is on. If Maharashtra government is giving Rs 5 lakh, another government is giving Rs 7 lakh, Rs 8 lakh. There is a competition going on to give money to farmers,” he said.
Ironically, the statement comes just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday where he will highlight the government’s initiatives for the development of the agriculture sector and welfare of the agriculturists.
During the ‘Kisan Kalyan Mela’ at Sehore, he will release the guidelines for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana which was approved by the Union Cabinet in January, a PMO statement said.
The scheme will come into effect from the upcoming Kharif season. It envisages a uniform premium of only 2 per cent to be paid by farmers for Kharif crops, and 1.5 per cent for Rabi crops. The premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be 5 per cent.
There is no upper limit on government subsidy for this scheme. The provision of capping the premium rate, which existed in earlier schemes, and resulted in low claims being paid to farmers, has been done away with.
Farmers will get claims against the full sum insured, without any reduction. The Prime Minister will distribute soil health cards, and crop insurance settlement claims to select beneficiaries, the statement said.
