'MSP was there, is there, will be there,' says PM Modi at Rajya Sabha

In his address to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the minimum support price (MSP) was there, is there and will continue. Speaking about the farm laws, PM Modi said that mandis will be modernised. He added that affordable ration for the poor will also continue.

PM Modi said that a lot of leaders have spoken up about the farmers' agitation but hardly anyone spoke about the core issues. He said that the NDA introduced a lot of changes in the agricultural sector since 2014 to empower farmers. "The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for the small farmers," he said.

The Prime Minister stated that 33 per cent of farmers own less than 2 bigha of land. He added, "Under our PM Fasal Bima Yojna, Rs 90,000 crore have been disbursed till now. We launched farmers' credit cards and its ambit has been expanded. Under PM Samman Nidhi Yojna for poor farmers, 10 crore have benefitted and till now Rs 1.15 lakh crore has been disbursed."

PM Modi spoke about the vaccination programme in the country and said that India is known as the pharmacy hub of the world. "We supplied vaccines to the world. Indian doctors have earned praise globally. India's federal structure worked jointly during the pandemic. We appreciate the efforts made by the states," he added. The PM said that there was a time when India was plagued with the threat of polio, and smallpox and that there was no way of knowing if India would get a vaccine and how many people would receive it. "From those days, we are now here, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence," said the PM in Rajya Sabha.

The Prime Minister attacked the Opposition and said that there are several issues that can be discussed but should not engage in those issues that put the country down and demotivates it.

"We are celebrating the 75th year of Independence. We should make a commitment to do something about the nation. Today, the entire world is looking towards India with hope," PM Modi said. He said that all eyes are on India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of the planet.

He said that India is a country of opportunities. "Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation that is young, full of enthusiasm, is making efforts to realise the dreams with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by," he said.

"India is not merely the world's largest democracy. India is the mother of democracy' and this is our ethos. Our nation's temperament is democratic," he said.

Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased

Also read: Aatmanirbhar Bharat spirit seen everyday from cricket to COVID-19 management: PM Modi