‘What did he do for farmers?’: PM Modi targets Sharad Pawar at Shirdi rally

“In the seven years of his tenure, he purchased from farmers grains worth only Rs 3.5 lakh crore at the MSP (minimum support price). On the other hand, our government in the seven-year period has paid Rs 13.5 lakh crore for buying farmers’ produce at the MSP,” he added without naming the NCP chief.

The prime minister said that farmers had to rely on agents when Pawar was the Union agriculture minister. “’For months, farmers did not get their payments but our government has made arrangements for transferring MSP directly into farmer’s bank accounts,” he said.

According to the prime minister, food grains and oilseeds worth only Rs 500-600 crore used to be purchased at the MSP before 2014. “But our government has purchased food grains and oilseeds worth Rs 1.15 lakh crore at the MSP and the amount has already been deposited in farmers’ bank accounts,” he said.

Stating that his government’s top priority was the welfare of the poor, the prime minister said, “The nation should get freedom from poverty. If the poor get an opportunity to progress, then it will be true justice. Our government’s mantra is ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas.”

Modi said the central government’s budget for the poor had grown six times from what it was before 2014. “To ensure the welfare of the poor, we are also increasing the budget meant for the poor. Today, we are distributing 1.10 crore Ayushman cards in Maharashtra. These cardholders will get free medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh. We are spending Rs 70,000 crore for this scheme. For houses meant for the poor, we are spending Rs 4 lakh crore. Compared to the years before 2014, this amount spent for the welfare of the poor is six times higher,” he said.

The prime minister appealed to the people to work for making India a developed country by 2047. “Maharashtra has immense potential and opportunities. The faster the development of Maharashtra, the quicker will be the progress of the country,” he said.

Before addressing the rally, the prime minister performed a pooja and had a darshan at the Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple in Shirdi, where he inaugurated a Darshan Queue Complex.

The prime minister then proceeded to the Nilwande dam, which is more 70 km away, and performed the jalpujan of the dam and dedicated its left bank canal network to the nation.

“The dam project was approved in 1970. For five decades, the project was delayed. But Maharashtra’s wait has now ended. The left bank canal has become operational and soon the right bank canal too will become operational. Every drop of water is important for us. We should keep in mind the mantra of ‘per drop, more crop’,” he said.

Modi said that like the Nilwande dam project, there were 26 more delayed irrigation projects in Maharashtra, adding that his government would operationalise them soon.

At the Shirdi rally, Modi launched the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, which he said would benefit more than 86 lakh farmers. He inaugurated and laid foundation stones for multiple development projects worth about Rs 7,500 crore in the state.

The prime minister also paid tribute to Baba Maharaj Satarkar, the kirtankar who died on Thursday. “Today, I heard that Baba Maharaj Satarkar has passed away… I pay my tributes to Baba Maharaj Satarkar, who was the glory of the nation and the warkari sect. Through kirtan and pravachan, he created awareness and inspired millions. His voice and style won the hearts of millions of people,” he said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar also spoke at the rally.