PM Modi releases Rs.16K cr to farmers, launches ‘Bharat’ fertiliser
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed concern over India’s high import bill for edible oil, fertilisers and crude oil, emphasising the need to be more self-reliant and reduce import dependence.
He was speaking at the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan here, where he released the 12th instalment of financial benefits to the tune of `16,000 crore to farmers under the Centre’s flagship PM-Kisan scheme ahead of Diwali.
The PM also launched ‘Bharat’ brand fertiliser, under which subsidised urea will be made available as part of the ‘One Nation One Fertiliser (ONOF)’ scheme. Companies will be mandated to sell products under the Bharat brand hereon.
In his virtual address at the function to distribute PMJAY-MA (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ma Amrutam) Yojana cards in Gandhinagar, the Prime Minister also underlined the need to fight malnutrition. He said it is important to fight malnutrition “as when the child is healthy the country will be healthy.”
In the same address, the PM said that previous governments used to meet at big convention centres, light a lamp and give good lectures, but that the benefits of government schemes failed to trickle down to the public. Only a few aware citizens and middlemen used to get the benefits, he said.
The Prime Minister said his government has changed this practice. “Now, the government goes to every house, identifies beneficiaries and gives benefits of the scheme to the eligible people,” he said.
As part of the PM-Kisan release, `2.16 lakh crore has been transferred to around 11 crore farmers so far. Under the scheme, a beneficiary gets `6,000 a year in three equal instalments.
He also inaugurated 600 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PM-KSK), which will act as a one-stop shop providing multiple services to farmers. Around 3.3 lakh retail fertiliser shops will be converted into PM-KSK centres.
Elaborating on the need to reduce dependence on imports, the PM said that India’s vegetable oil imports shot up by 70.72 per cent last fiscal, while petroleum and crude product imports shot up by 94 per cent.
With international energy prices soaring due to the war in Ukraine, India will spend a record `2.5 lakh crore to subsidise fertiliser for farmers. With $120 billion set to be spent on importing crude oil, these two are the biggest drain on the exchequer.
The PM said that of the total imports, the maximum is spent on edible oils, fertilisers and crude oil. “When there is a global problem, it has its bearing on the domestic market. First, the country had to face the challenge of pandemic and then the war in countries from where India buys many commodities,” he said.
The country can reduce the import of edible oils by boosting domestic production, he said, citing that when it was done with pulses, it can be easily replicated with oilseeds. In the case of crude oil, the prime minister said efforts are being made to boost the production of ethanol and biofuel.
Citing the example of fertiliser, Modi said global prices of urea and di-ammonium phosphate are rising by the day, which is impacting the country's economy. To make fertilisers available at cheaper rates, the government buys urea at the rate of `75-80 per kg from the global market, but sells it to farmers at `5-`6 per kg.
Modi urged agri startups, which have increased to 3,000 now from 100-odd in 2014, to work towards reducing the import of commodities like edible oil and fertilisers.
