Bagalkot, Jan 17 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the three farm laws enacted by the Centre recently would enable farmers to increase their income manifold, as they will be able to sell their produce anywhere in the country to anyone for the highest price.

"The farm laws will help farmers to increase their income manifold, as they can sell their crop to whoever offers the highest price to them," said Shah in Hindi at Bagalkot in Karnataka's northwest region, about 475km from Bengaluru.

Addressing a huge public rally (Jansevak Samavesh) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College ground in the town on the second day of his visit to the southern state, Shah said the Narendra Modi government was committed to improve the welfare of farmers, as it had been working for them since it came to power six years ago in 2014.

"Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, lakhs of farmers are getting Rs 6,000 per year directly in their bank accounts. The BJP-led NDA government has also given Rs 13-lakh crore worth loans to farmers across the country as against Rs 6-lakh crore given by the Congress-led UPA government earlier," reiterated Shah.

Defending the farm laws against whom a section of farmers have been protesting since November 26 on Delhi borders and seeking their repeal, Shah said the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) across the country would be linked digitally to enable farmers sell their produce directly to those who offer them the highest price.

Noting that the Modi government was promoting increasing use of ethanol in fuels like petrol and diesel, the Home Minister said sugarcane growers would also benefit from higher ethanol production.

"The GST (Goods and Services Tax) on ethanol has been reduced to five per cent from 18 per cent to encourage sugarcane growers to increase ethanol production and help the country save on crude oil import bill by blending it with petrol and diesel," said Shah.

Hinting that efforts were being made to produce ethanol even from rice paddy to benefit farmers, Shah said ethanol production had increased 5-fold since 2014-15 to 190 crore litres in 2018-19.

"Ethanol production from sugarcane and rice paddy will be increased to 400 crore litres by 2022 from 325 crore litres in 2020 for blending it more with petrol," added Shah.

Shah also unveiled the new sugar factory of the Nirani group of companies, owned by state minister Murugesh Nirani, who was inducted into the cabinet on January 13 in Bengaluru.

Shah flew to Bagalkot from Belagavi in a helicopter with state Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi.

Shah also laid the foundation for the expansion of Saipriya Sugars Ltd factory to 75,000 tonne crushing per day, 260mw co-generation and 26-lakh kilo litres of ethanol per day at Kerakalmatti in Badami taluk of Bagalkot district.

Belagavi: Farmers protest against Amit Shah

Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (MS)

Belagavi, Jan 17: Hundreds of farmers protested against Amit Shah at the Chennama Circle here opposing his visit to the district.

The farmers were protesting against the farm laws passed by the union government. They chanted slogans such as 'Amit Shah go back', 'down with central government and PM Modi' and so on.

Speaking on the occasion, a farmer leader said, "Farmers are protesting in Delhi for 57 days. The union government is not responding to their demands. They are saying that theirs is a government of farmers and cheating farmers."

The farmers held portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and also rolled themselves on the road to express their anguish. Town station police officers took the protesting farmers into custody.

The protest was led by farmer leaders Jayashree Gurannavara, Choonappa Poojary, Raghavendra Nayaka and Prakasha Nayaka.