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Farmers’ incomes have declined 1.38% since 2014: Yashwant Sinha (Lead)
Kolkata, Feb 6 (IANS) Criticising the recent budget announcements of the Narendra Modi government, BJP leader and former Union mMinister Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday said currently there is distress in rural India with farmers’ income declining by 1.38 per cent in the last four years.
“There is tremendous rural distress and it is not merely because agricultural growth rate has declined. The distress is because the farmer is actually getting one third or 50 per cent of the price of his produce when compared to the minimum support price,” he said in an event organised by Calcutta Chamber of Commerce.
Citing a study, he said the agricultural growth rate during the last four years of the present Narendra Modi government was 1.9 per cent annually compared to 3.8 per cent in the first four years of UPA government.
Sinha said agriculture value added has also declined and doubling of farmers’ income by 2022 as envisaged by the ruling government seems a “distant reality”.
“In the last four years, farmers’ income has declined by 1.38 per cent. Instead of increasing their income, it has gone down. So, when we are talking about doubling it by 2022, I would say the last four years have been lost. We are already in 2018, what shall be done in the next four years?”
He also said the budget paper is a “sacred document” and every proposal in the budget must be backed by financial provision and otherwise, it will become election manifesto.
“What is the difference between election manifesto and budget document? In an election manifesto, you make promises without having mentioned the cost and where from the money is going to come. In the budget, you can’t do that,” he said, adding there is no token financial provision for ensuring higher farmers’ income.
“The promise made in 2014 in the election manifesto is that we should give 50 per cent more to the farmers than their cost of production.”
Taking a dig at the Modi government, Sinha said he had expected on the highest priority basis, the government would deal effectively with the growing non-performing assets of the banks and expedite a large number of projects which were held up due to policy paralysis.
“We should have hit the ground running and dealt with these two issues on highest priority basis. We should not have waited for four years for bank recapitalisation…there has been some movement on stalled projects and the value of the stalled projects have come down but the backlog has not been eliminated. That is why sectors are in stress,” he said.
Citing typos in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget speech, he said: “If you are not applying your mind to the budget speech, it has only one conclusion that you have not applied your mind to the budget itself.”
He also said the new indirect tax system – Goods and Services Tax (GST)- has been made “complicated”.
“It is still a work in progress. Various amendments are going on in respect to tax rate and procedure and filing,” Sinha added.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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