PM Narendra Modi hits out at Opposition for attempt to derail reforms

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lashed out at the critics of his government’s agri-reforms, saying they do not want farmers to become self-reliant. 

“Many people don’t want villages, the poor, the farmer and the labourer to be aatmanirbhar (self-reliant),” he said, speaking at a programme to launch the physical distribution of property cards under the ‘SVAMITVA’  scheme. 

The PM said his government’s measures to empower farmers, including by directly transferring money to them, have hit the middleman hard by wiping out their source of “illegitimate earnings”. He charged that the opposition strengthened its power through the middlemen.

“They are upset not for farmers but for themselves. For ages they strengthened their power through middlemen,” the PM said. 

The SVAMITVA scheme is aimed at providing legal documents for properties held by rural households.

“The beneficiaries will have a right, a legal document of owning their houses. The country has taken another major step towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the PM said.