“Not going to benefit farmers on ground”: Rakesh Tikait on Union Budget 2024

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 23 (ANI): After the Union Budget 2024 was presented in Parliament on Tuesday, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that the budget would not benefit farmers on the ground.

Speaking with ANI, Tikait said, “They (the Centre) might find this budget good on paper, but it is not going to benefit the farmers on the ground. Companies that will teach organic farming to the farmers are going to benefit from this.”

The farmer leader further said that the government should provide free electricity and water if they wanted farmers to benefit. “The government should pay the price of crops, provide free power and water, offer cheap fertilizers, and reduce GST on farming equipment if they want to benefit farmers,” he said.

Tikait also mentioned that women involved in milk production are landless.

“There are no provisions for them. Milk prices also dropped in a year. They are in the worst condition. What did you do for the labourers who work in factories? What did you do for health? Are there any plans for rural health?”

On the government’s plan to boost natural farming, Tikait said, “Some company or NGO will come, take the money, teach the farmers natural farming, and ask them to use cow dung manure. Farmers are already doing this.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first Union Budget of the Modi 3.0 government and her seventh consecutive one during the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Tuesday.

In her seventh consecutive Union Budget for 2024-25, the Finance Minister outlined nine key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities.

She listed productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling, inclusive human resource development and social justice, manufacturing and services, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation, research and development, and next-generation reforms as nine priority areas for the government.

The budget session of Parliament began on July 22 and, according to the schedule, will end on August 12.