Union Budget is anti-farmer, says Niranjan Reddy

The overall allocations to the agriculture sector have been reduced from Rs 2.25 lakh in 2022-23 to Rs 1.75 lakh crore in 2023-24, marking a reduction by around Rs 50,000 crore

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy termed the BJP-led government at the Centre as anti-farmer which has reduced the allocations to the agriculture sector in the union Budget 2023-24 by a staggering 22 percent compared to the previous budget. The overall allocations to the agriculture sector have been reduced from Rs 2.25 lakh in 2022-23 to Rs 1.75 lakh crore in 2023-24, marking a reduction by around Rs 50,000 crore.

In response to the union Budget 2023-24, the Agriculture Minister said the Centre is slowly withdrawing subsidy on fertilisers, notwithstanding the rising input costs including prices of fertilisers, fuel charges and labour charges among others. Though the Modi government promised to double farmers income by 2022, he reminded that it was not even mentioned anywhere in the budget speech.

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“Funds for MGNREGS were reduced by Rs 29,400 crore. While allocations for PM-KISAN Nidhi were reduced, funds for the failed crop insurance scheme was increased to Rs 1,249 crore. Severe injustice was meted out to cotton farmers by allocating a nominal Rs 1 lakh for the Cotton Corporation of India,” he said.