New Delhi: As the farmers' agitation entered its 30th day on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government is open to hold discussions with the farmers and opposition political parties to iron out the confusion over the newly passed farm laws.
Defending the farm laws, the Prime Minister said some people are misleading the farmers. "We are ready to discuss all the issues with the farmers and also the political parties which are against the farm laws, but the discussion will be on issues related to the laws," Modi said.
Modi said this after transferring more than Rs 18,000 crore to over nine crore beneficiary farmer families as part of the seventh instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme -- a direct transfer scheme for the farmers -- even as the farmers continued to hold fort against his government over the contentious farm laws.
While defending the farm laws, the PM said they are for the benefit of the farmers and nobody can snatch farmers' lands.
"I am satisfied that now there are no middlemen and the farmers are getting money directly and till now, Rs 1,10,000 crore has been deposited without any cut and commission. This is good governance," the Prime Minister said.
He also targeted some political parties for latching on to the farmers' protests, and said: "They are trying to disturb the economy of the country and also giving nightmares to the people of Delhi.
"If APMC is good then why it's not in Kerala? The online Mandis have done a business of Rs 1 lakh crore," he said.
Modi said the government has tried to decrease the input cost of the farmers through various means.
"The government is promoting micro irrigation, per drop more crop," he said, adding that the government is building infrastructure and storage near the villages.
The Prime Minister also had a interaction with the farmers from six different states including Odisha during the event.
The farmers shared their experiences with the PM-KISAN scheme and also on various other initiatives taken by the government for the welfare of the farmers.
The farmer from Odisha's Nuapada Nabin Thakur expressed his happiness on how the centrally sponsored PM-KISAN and Kisan Credit Card schemes have helped his life.
Thakur said, “I have been given Rs 10,000 under PM-KISAN yojana so far. I have spent the sum on purchasing fertilizers, seeds and pesticides.”
(With IANS Inputs)