‘Modi govt allocated 438% more budget to agriculture sector as compared to UPA’

New Delhi: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday said the budgetary allocation made by the Modi government for the agriculture sector during 2014-2020 was 438 per cent more than what it was during the previous UPA rule.

He also accused the Leftists and the “tukde-tukde gang” of defaming the Modi government’s achievements in the farm sector.

The Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying was speaking to reporters here.

“I want to stress on the budget (allocation) for the agriculture sector. The budget allocation for agriculture was Rs 88,811 crore between 2009 and 2014, which was increased to Rs 4,87,238 crore between 2014 and 2020, registering a growth of 438 per cent,” he said.

“The Leftists and the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ are defaming the achievements of the Modi-led government in the farm sector,” he alleged.

He said the agriculture credit during 2013-14 was Rs seven lakh crore, which has gone up to Rs 16.5 lakh crore during the FY 2021-22, reporting an increase of 135 per cent.

Singh said that wheat worth Rs 33,000 crore was procured during 2013-14, which increased to Rs 62,000 crore during the 2019-2020 fiscal, with a growth of 87 per cent. Similarly, paddy worth Rs 63,298 crore was procured between 2013-14 which went up to Rs 1.41 lakh crore in 2019-2020, he added.

Singh said that 106 lakh farmers in the country have benefited through the Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) of Rs 6,000 each.