"Farmers are our annadatas...Centre ready for further talks...": Anurag Thakur

New Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the Centre is ready for talks with protesting farmers who are our "brothers" and "annadaatas", asserting that the Modi government has taken various steps to ensure higher income for farmers.
Speaking to media in New Delhi the Minister said, "We were ready for talks earlier and are ready even today and will be ready to discuss their issues even in future."
Thakur highlighted various steps taken by the Modi government to double farmers' income and achieve higher growth in the agriculture and allied sectors. He said the government has doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and increased the procurement by more than two times.
About the Cabinet decision to hike Fair & Remunerative Price for sugarcane for the season 2024-25 by 8 percent to Rs 340 per quintal, the Minister said, "India is paying the highest price for sugarcane in the world. And the price fixed is 107 per cent higher than the A2 plus formula for sugarcane. A2 includes all the expenses incurred by the farmers for buying chemicals, fertilizers, seeds and hired labour, while A2 + FL covers actual cost incurred plus implicit cost in the form of family labour."
The Minister also drew comparison of the highest MSP paid to farmers during 10 years of NDA government than during the previous 10 years of UPA Government. Thakur said the Modi Government has spent Rs 18.39 lakh crore in the last 10 years on procurement of wheat, paddy, oilseeds, and pulses as against Rs 5.5 lakh crore by the UPA regime.
Speaking on the fertilizers the Minister said, "Despite the increase in the prices of fertilizers across the world, we did not allow the prices of fertilizers to increase for the farmers. Government of India gave subsidy up to Rs 3 lakh crore, to ensure that fertilizers are made available to farmers at reasonable rates".
Meanwhile, the farmers have halted their 'Dilli Chalo' protest march for two days to take stock of the ongoing situation on the Shambhu border in Haryana and further decisions will be taken accordingly, the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said on Thursday.
The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the start of the protest. Several farmers and police personnel were injured in the clashes during the March that started on February 13. (ANI)