New Delhi, March 18 A Congress MP from Punjab demanded a special package of ₹50,000 crore for the state's farmers, whom he described as being in "dire straits."
During the debate on demands for grants under the Ministry of Agriculture, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who is also the president of the Punjab Congress, claimed that 750 farmers lost their lives in the state during the farmers' agitation against the three now-repealed agricultural laws, and demanded compensation for their families.
Warring stated that the Centre should announce a special package of ₹50,000 for the farmers of Punjab, as they are in "dire straits."
Referring to stubble burning by farmers, Warring suggested that the government should provide an incentive of ₹5,000 to each farmer, claiming that this would resolve the issue that causes air pollution.
The Congress MP from Ludhiana also said that due to the "tussle" between the Centre and the "broom" (the poll symbol of AAP) government in Punjab, the farmers of the state have not received the flood relief provided under disaster relief funds.
Participating in the debate, BJP member Konda Vishweshwar Reddy urged the government to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for pulses, saying it would help the farmers of Telangana.
Appreciating the various steps taken by the government for the farmers, Reddy said that inflation in the country is now the lowest, due to which the purchasing power of the farmers has increased.
Naresh Chandra Uttam Patel of the Samajwadi Party urged the government not to allow the import of soybean, dairy products, and cattle fodder from abroad, as it would "financially cripple" the farmers involved in these sectors.
Patel also demanded that the government should increase the amount paid under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Trinamool Congress MP Pratima Mondal said that the government has allegedly failed to resolve the problems of the farmers, leading to their poor economic conditions.
Mondal referred to the farmers' agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws and said that during the protests, a close relative of a former Union minister allegedly drove an SUV over the protesting farmers, leading to several deaths.
"The accused was granted bail by the Supreme Court. There is no conviction, no accountability," she alleged.