Senior Congress leader and former chief of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee Dhanendra Sahu claimed on Sunday that only the Congress has vision for farmers’ development in Chhattisgarh.
He rejected a statement of Chief Minister Raman Singh in which he had alleged that Congress has never taken care of farmers’ community.
Addressing a press conference here at Congress Bhawan on Sunday, Sahu claimed that it was the UPA government at the centre under whose tenure the support price of the paddy was increased to the highest level.
“In its tenure of 10 years at the Centre, the Congress has distributed Rs 800 per quintal bonus under minimum support price of the paddy. During that period the minimum support price too was increased from Rs 540 per quintal in 2003-4 to Rs 1310 in 2013-14’’, he added.
Congress had never publicised the work done in favour of farmers and had silently increased the support price even though it was not in our election manifesto, Sahu stated while making a veiled attack on ongoing ‘Bonus Tihar’ celebration in the state which is being organised by the ruling BJP to distribute Rs 2,100 cr bonus amount to about 13 lakh farmers families.
Sahu further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has increased the support price only Rs 300 in its tenure of 10 years.
Regarding Chief Minister’s comment Sahu said “by making false statements regarding non distribution of bonus to the farmers by the Congress, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister is misleading the people”.
“Chief Minister is also highlighting that they are giving agriculture loan on 0% interest rate. That too is false, they are actually using the central scheme and the scheme of NABARD,’’ he informed.