PM directly transferred Rs 53,680 cr into Odisha farmers' accounts: Dharmendra Pradhan

Dhenkanal (Odisha) [India], December 26 (ANI): Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directly transferred Rs 53,680 crores into accounts of farmers of Odisha.
"During Manmohan Singh's govt in 2013-14, farmers were paid Rs 1,310 for 1 quintal paddy. Modi government increased it to Rs 1,815 per quintal. PM Modi has directly transferred Rs 53,680 crores into accounts of farmers of Odisha," Pradhan said while addressing a farmers' rally in Dhenkanal, Odisha.
"In the 2013-14 financial year, the Congress government bought 2.6 million metric tonnes of food grains from Odisha, while in the 2019-20 financial year, the Modi government bought 9.05 million metric tonnes of food grains from Odisha," he added.
Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, highlighted the agriculture reform laws brought by the central government and said that it will benefit farmers.
"Farmers in India, including Odisha, will benefit more from the new agricultural law. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the government is committed to making agriculture a profitable business. Under the new agricultural law, farmers can sell their produce at the APMC Mandi and sell their products anywhere in the country to get a fair price for their produce," he said.
"The new agricultural law provides for one country and one market. This will allow the mangoes of Dhenkanal to be sold in Mumbai and the litchi of Odisha's Angul in the West Bengal market. The new agricultural laws have been introduced to make farmers self-sufficient. Ethanol is also planned to be produced from agricultural waste in Dhenkanal after Bargarh in Odisha," he added.
The Union Ministers and various BJP leaders are engaged in the outreach programs in order to highlight the benefits of new farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for one month at the gates of the national capital.
Farmers are protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)