Centre has spent Rs 7.95 crore to bust myths regarding farm laws, says Tomar: Key developments

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has spent Rs 7.95 crore on releasing advertisements consisting of clarifications related to the three farm laws in five months since September last year. They include ads to bust myths and publicise realities in order to create awareness among the farmers and other stakeholders.
This was stated by agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Here are the key developments of the day.
1. The centre has spent over Rs 7.95 crore till January for a publicity campaign to bust myths about the new farm laws. Out of this, the information and broadcasting ministry committed Rs 7,25,57,246 for the release of advertisements between September 2020 and January 2021 on behalf of the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, he said. Tomar further said the print advertisements have been published through the Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) in Hindi, English and regional language newspapers for "clarifications related to farm laws including on myth and realities, etc" for creating awareness among the farmers and other stakeholders. The Agriculture Ministry has incurred an expenditure of Rs 67,99,750 on production of three promotional and two educational films on the farm laws for its wider publicity through electronic media, social media and webinars. Besides, miscellaneous expenditure of Rs 1,50,568 was incurred on development of creatives for print advertisement, the minister added. On expenses incurred on overseas publicity campaign, the minister said there was "nil" expenditure as per the information received from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
2. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to clear the path for his "friends" through the three new agri-marketing laws, saying he is threatening farmers when he cannot stand up to China. Addressing farmer ‘mahapanchayat’ in Pilibanga town of Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district, he claimed the laws will impact 40 per cent of Indians. He also referred to the India-China agreement on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh, alleging that the Modi government ceded territory between fingers 3 and 4 on the banks of Pangong lake. “He would not stand before China but threatens farmers. This is the reality of Narendra Modi,” Gandhi charged. Instead of chairs, cots were placed on the dais for party leaders to sit upon in Hanumangarh. In Sri Ganganagar, there were rustic “mudda” chairs on the dais.
3. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national president Naresh Tikait said the deadlock over farm laws can be resolved if the government shuns its “stubborn” attitude and does not play with the honour of farmers. When asked about the future course of action, the BKU leader said, "It all depends on the government. If it sheds its stubborn attitude and stops playing with the honour of farmers, the matter can be resolved." On the question of foreigners' support to the stir, Tikait said they have nothing to do with it. “What is happening also goes to foreign countries. The image of the government is getting maligned. Why do you (government) allow such a situation?" he said while on his way to Moradabad's Bilari. Tikait said his message to farmers is, "Peace is our weapon and it should be adopted."
4. Saying that the centre will have to withdraw its farm laws, Rahul Gandhi said when the British could not stand before farmers of India, then who is Narendra Modi. Addressing his second farmers' rally, Gandhi said 40 per cent people of the country are engaged in farming, which is the business of “Bharat Mata”. “It is the business of 'Bharat Mata' which feeds the nation," he said at the rally held in Padampur town of Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district. He said the agitation against the laws will spread in the country as it is not linked to farmers alone. It is the issue of labourers, traders, small and medium businessmen and the middle class, he said.
5. Beginning Sunday, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait would be attending seven farmers' meetings planned across Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan to garner support for the ongoing stir against the new farm laws. These farmers' meetings, which will culminate on February 23, are part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's outreach programme, BKU's media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said. These "kisan mahapanchayat" are scheduled to be held in Haryana's Karnal, Rohtak, Sirsa and Hisar districts, and Maharashtra's Akola and Rajasthan's Sikar, he said. Thousands of farmers are encamped at Delhi's border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November with a demand that the centre repeal the three farm laws enacted in September and make a new law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
6. The Supreme Court-appointed committee held consultations with 12 farmer unions and peasants from eight states, including West Bengal, on the controversial farm laws enacted by the centre recently. This is the seventh meeting held by the panel so far. The three-member committee is holding consultations with stakeholders, both online and in person. In a statement, the committee said it held its interactions through video conference with farmers, farmer unions and farmer producer organisations (FPOs). Twelve farm unions and farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the detailed deliberations with the committee members, it said. "All the participating farmer unions, FPOs and farmers gave their detailed views and suggestions on the three farm laws," the committee added.
7. Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the new farm laws will bring investments, new technologies and create employment. Addressing a gathering organised by BJP's youth wing to highlight the salient features of the Union budget, Pradhan said the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 40,000 crore will open new doors for agrarian development. Noting that the Union budget was brought at a difficult time when the economy was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister asserted that the Narendra Modi government has empowered the farmers and workers.
8. BJP leader Anurag Thakur slammed opposition parties, asking them not to use farmers for their political gains and asserted that the three new farm laws will help in doubling income of the farming community. While participating in the debate on the Union budget in the Rajya Sabha, Thakur, who is the minister of state for finance, challenged the opposition leaders to show him if it is written anywhere in the three agri laws that the regime of 'mandis' and MSP would come to an end due to the legislation. "These people say farm laws are black laws. Only whose thinking is black will call it black. This law has been brought to double the income of farmers. We are committed to double the income of farmers," Thakur said in the Upper House. "You say mandis will be finished. I openly challenge Congress leaders to tell us in which law it has been written that mandis will be finished. Where has it been written that MSP will end? Does any Congress leader or any opposition leader has the guts to tell if anywhere in the agri law it is written that mandis will end? Do not use these simple farmers for your politics. We have taken the task to double farmer' income and we will do it," Thakur said.
9. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait will hold 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' and a public rally in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra on February 20, an office-bearer of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has said. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against three farm laws. Its Maharashtra co-ordinator Sandip Gidde said that Tikait, Yudveer Singh and several other leaders of the SKM will hold the Kisan Mahapanchayat and the public meeting at Azad Maidan in Yavatmal city on February 20. "Tikait wants to start the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Maharashtra from Yavatmal, which has earned the dubious distinction of being the hotspot of farmers' suicides," he said.