While addressing a joint sitting of both the houses of Parliament today, President Ram Nath Kovind, said over 100 million farmers have started getting benefits of the three farm laws passed by the Parliament last year. These laws are currently stayed by the Supreme Court and the government respects that, said the President. He went on to inform that the government was making record purchases on the minimum support price (MSP) and was also coming up with more procurement centres across the country.

Meanwhile, small and marginal farmers were the priority for the government and to support such farmers in their small expenses, around Rs 1,13,000 crores (Rs 1,130 billion)  have been transferred directly to their accounts under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, said President Kovind.

The three farm laws have been facing stiff opposition from several farmers’ organisations who, for the last two months, are protesting in Delhi. During a tractor parade organised by the farmers’ groups recently on the Republic Day, violent clashes took place. Over 200 protesting farmers were detained and FIRs against 22 farmer leaders filed.   

At least 16 opposition parties, led by the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena, and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), have boycotted the President’s address, in solidarity with the farmers agitating against the new farm laws. The opposition is holding a silent protest at Vijay Chowk.

Meanwhile, the president said that many political parties have supported these reforms. “With these new agricultural reforms, the government has provided new facilities and rights to farmers,” said Kovind. The Centre was working constantly to remove misconceptions related to farm laws, he added. 

Under the per drop-more crop initiative, the  government is working round-the-clock to ensure better produce for our farmers, said the President.

Listing out Narendra Modi government’s measures, the President said that small and marginal farmers are a priority for the government.

He said the rights and facilities that were available before the formation of the three farm laws have not been cut short, in fact with these new agricultural reforms the govt has provided new facilities and rights to farmers.

Ever since the government introduced the agriculture bills, the farmers have looked upon them as a serious threat to the existing MSP. A recent survey by Gaon Connection showed that around 60 per cent of the surveyed farmers called for a law to make MSP mandatory. 

The President in his address today said that “I am happy to announce that my government has set new records in buying at MSP from farmers.  Not just that, my government has implemented the Swaminathan committee report on the agri sector. The agriculture sector is a priority for my government.” 

The President also called the violent clashes that emerged during the tractor parade on Republic Day as ‘unfortunate’. “There was violence during the protests and there were incidents of insulting that national flag at Red Fort on Republic Day. This was very unfortunate,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a statement to the media, called for debate and discussion in Parliament. “The coming decade is vital for India’s progress. We have to remember the vision and dreams of the greats who fought for our nation’s freedom. Let there be detailed debate and discussions on the floor of Parliament,” he said.

The Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey 2021, which will present a detailed account of the state of the economy, this afternoon.

The Budget session will be held in two parts, from January 29 to February 15 and from March 8 to April 8. There will be a total of 33 sittings.