Jammu, Dec 25 (UNI) Refuting the false rumours that the farmers will lose the ownership of their land, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said it were the farm grabbers, not the farmers, who may lose the land, which has been illegitimately taken away from the farmers.
Participating in a special programme of Kisan Samman Nidhi, digitally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Panchayat Nagrota in Block Barnoti, Dr Singh said that even in Kathua district, misgivings were sought to be spread that the ownership and registry papers of the farmers will be cancelled, as per the new law.
These misgivings and lies were being spread precisely by those, who have over the years, illegally or forcibly taken away the land from innocent farmers and built their mansions or commercial establishments on it, he alleged.
Instead of there being any threat to the farmers' land, Dr Singh clarified that on the contrary, action has been initiated to retrieve the agricultural land unauthorisedly occupied by non-farmers, so that it could be restored back for agricultural purposes.
The action initiated against those involved in Roshni scam and other land scams recently, was actually meant to restore back to the ryots, the ownership rights of this land, he said.
Dr Singh recalled that ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014, this government has, one after the other, taken a series of path-breaking decisions for the benefit of farmers.
These, he said, included Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Neem coated urea, Soil Health Card and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi in which Rs18000 crore was deposited today.
Dr Singh described the New Farm Laws as democratisation of the agricultural sector and living up to the concept of One Nation- One Agriculture Market.
He said, 'The young modern agricultural technocrat of today will now have the freedom to choose the buyer for his produce from wherever he wants and at the same time to go for the best price available from wherever it is.'
Jammu and Kashmir, said Dr Singh, is known for its progressive agriculture sector. There is no arrangement of Mandis here, but even in other parts of the country, the existing APMC Mandis are not going to be abolished, as is being rumoured in certain quarters.
The recently-concluded District Development Council elections, in which farmers living in the Panchayats across Jammu and Kashmir participated, have also endorsed the pro-farmer policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister added.
UNI VBH RJ 1932