`Most anti-farmer budget in history’: SKM lambasts Centre for neglecting kisans
“The allocation on Agriculture and Allied Sectors has been reduced from 3.84% (BE 2022) to 3.20% (BE 2023) of the total budget. The allocation to Rural Development has also been reduced from 5.81% (RE 2022) to 5.29% (BE 2023) of the total budget.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 2 Feb 2023 5:13 AM GMT
Delhi: Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has lashed out at the central government for neglecting farmers in the budget.
SKM said they had expected that the party-in-power would appreciate the importance of the farm sector and the need to secure income and the future of the rural farming community, who form the bulk of India’s population. Instead, the Union Budget 2023 is the most anti-farmer budget in the history of the nation
“The allocation on Agriculture and Allied Sectors has been reduced from 3.84% (BE 2022) to 3.20% (BE 2023) of the total budget. The allocation to Rural Development has also been reduced from 5.81% (RE 2022) to 5.29% (BE 2023) of the total budget. With such massive reductions, the government intends to squeeze out the lifeblood from the farming sector and thereby the farmers of India,” SKM said in a statement.
SKM said the budget also is silent on doubling farmers' Income. “No figures have been given in the budget. It may be recalled that according to the government, it was Rs. 8000 per month in 2016 (the year of the announcement). It was to be increased to Rs.21,000 per month in 2022. After 3 years, it was found to have been Rs.10,200 and perhaps now it is a maximum of Rs.12,400. Thus, out of the targeted increase in income of Rs.13,000, only Rs.4,400 has been achieved. That is only one-third of the target. In any case, the government has dishonestly stopped giving data on this and has hoodwinked the farmers,” SKM said. SKM said the budget 2023 is silent on the status of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops as per the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission.
“While the government has irrationally resisted the demands of farmers for MSP and its guarantee, this budget has removed even the fig leaf with which it was trying to cover its meager efforts to ensure that farmers get MSP. Flagship schemes like PM Annadata Aay Sangrakshan Abhiyan (AASHA) have seen a steady decline in allocation. 2 years ago it was Rs.1500 Cr. In 2022 it was reduced to Rs.1 Cr !! Only Rs.1 Cr to secure 150 million farming households. Similarly, Price Support Scheme (PSS) and MIS (Market Intervention Scheme) were reduced from Rs.3000 Cr to Rs.1500 Cr in 2022 and this year. In effect, the government has buried ASHA, PSS, and MIS. With that the fate of farmers getting MSP has been buried,” the farmers' body said.
SKM noted that the budget is silent on PM Fasal Bima Yojana. “In times of shifting weather patterns and climate change, this scheme was supposed to protect farmers from crop losses due to natural calamities. In 2022, the allocation was Rs.15,500 Cr but this year it has been reduced to Rs.13,625 Cr. As crop losses mount, crop insurance support is being cruelly reduced by the government. Does the government admit that the scheme has failed to protect the interest of farmers?” it asked
“The government is drastically hacking the allocation for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)* that provides critical income support to rural workers. In 2022, the budget allocation was Rs.73,000 Cr but in the face of rural joblessness and restless demand, the government was forced to spend Rs.90,000 Cr. Since the general economy and especially the rural economy is still in deep crisis, it is unbelievable that the government has hacked down the allocation of MNREGS to Rs.60,000 Cr, a dramatic cut of Rs.30,000 Cr.” SKM said the allocation for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi has been reduced from Rs.68,000 Cr in 2022 to Rs.60,000 Cr in this budget.
