Farm laws to increase farmers' income, asserts Amit Shah

"The farm laws will help farmers to increase their income manifold, as they can sell their crop to whoever offers the highest price to them," said Shah in Hindi at Bagalkot in Karnataka's northwest region, about 475km from Bengaluru.

Addressing a huge public rally (JansevakSamavesh) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College ground in the town on the second day of his visit to the southern state, Shah said the NarendraModi government was committed to improve the welfare of farmers, as it had been working for them since it came to power six years ago in 2014.

"Under the PradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, lakhs of farmers are getting Rs 6,000 per year directly in their bank accounts. The BJP-led NDA government has also given Rs 13-lakh crore worth loans to farmers across the country as against Rs 6-lakh crore given by the Congress-led UPA government earlier," reiterated Shah.

Defending the farm laws against whom a section of farmers have been protesting since November 26 on Delhi borders and seeking their repeal, Shah said the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) across the country would be linked digitally to enable farmers sell their produce directly to those who offer them the highest price.

Noting that the Modi government was promoting increasing use of ethanol in fuels like petrol and diesel, the Home Minister said sugarcane growers would also benefit from higher ethanol production.

"The GST (Goods and Services Tax) on ethanol has been reduced to five per cent from 18 per cent to encourage sugarcane growers to increase ethanol production and help the country save on crude oil import bill by blending it with petrol and diesel," said Shah.

Hinting that efforts were being made to produce ethanol even from rice paddy to benefit farmers, Shah said ethanol production had increased 5-fold since 2014-15 to 190 crorelitres in 2018-19.

"Ethanol production from sugarcane and rice paddy will be increased to 400 crorelitres by 2022 from 325 crorelitres in 2020 for blending it more with petrol," added Shah.

Shah also unveiled the new sugar factory of the Nirani group of companies, owned by state minister MurugeshNirani, who was inducted into the cabinet on January 13 in Bengaluru.

Shah flew to Bagalkot from Belagavi in a helicopter with state Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi. Shah also laid the foundation for the expansion of Saipriya Sugars Ltd factory to 75,000 tonne crushing per day, 260mw co-generation and 26-lakh kilo litres of ethanol per day at Kerakalmatti in Badamitaluk of Bagalkot district. (IANS)