Amit Shah woos farmers in UP

Wooing farmers in Uttar Pradesh which goes to assembly polls next year, BJP chief Amit Shah today asked them to help vote out the Samajwadi Party government as he accused it and the previous BSP dispensation of being responsible for their plight and claimed that agriculture has seen maximum growth in BJP-ruled states.
Projecting BJP as a pro-farmer party, he cited a host of measures taken by Narendra Modi government, including Rs 6000- crore loan package for sugarcane farmers and reviving urea plants to rev up its production as he gave a call for electing BJP to power in the assembly polls.

Addressing a meet of the national executive of the party's 'Kisan Morcha', Shah said agriculture's development is necessary if the country is to develop and claimed that only Modi government is capable of doing it, according to a party statement.
"If the agriculture growth across states since 90s is studied, then you will find that only BJP-ruled states have seen more than 10 per cent growth rate. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have seen almost 15 per cent growth rate.
"If BJP comes to power in UP, then all problems of farmers will be addressed. You should root out the SP government and elect BJP which is most concerned about farmers," he said.

Talking about measures like 'e-mandi' and easy loans for farmers being taken by the Centre besides the crop insurance scheme which will be launched soon, he claimed it was working overtime to help farmers and boost agriculture.

Hitting out at Congress, SP and BSP, he alleged these parties were responsible for the plight of sugarcane farmers in UP and claimed the schemes being brought by the Centre will solve their woes.
He blamed the policies of previous Congress government at the Centre for the much lower contribution of agriculture to GDP compared to the percentage of people depending on it for livelihood.

The government is pained with the inconvenience caused to
the people and BJP sympathises with them, he said to a question about long queues in banks as people rush to change scrapped Rs 1000/500 notes, he added the move will strengthen economy.
"All patriots, the common man, tax payers... Have welcomed the move. I want to make it clear that no tax payer needs to worry and the government will protect the interests of the poor, farmers, labourers, small traders," the BJP president said.
With its demonetisation exercise, the government has taken its war against black money to a decisive level, Shah told journalists.

Rejecting the charge of opposition parties that BJP leaders and those close to the party were informed in advance, he said only constitutional authorities and those related to the administrative measures were aware.
"BJP has no illicit money. We periodically submit our accounts with the Election Commission," he said.
The feedback BJP has received shows that people from all walks of lives have welcomed the decision, he said. Despite inconvenience, people of the country are praising it, he added.
"It is possible that there is some inconvenience to people. I empathise with them and appeal to them to support the exercise as the government has taken a hard decision for economy's benefits," he said.

Whenever a big change is made, some inconvenience happens, he added.
Shah noted the move is the latest among the Modi government's measures against black money as he noted its decisions to set up an SIT, inking agreements with several countries and scheme to bring out black money that resulted in declaration of over Rs 65000 crore.
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Asked about long queues outside ATMs which are quickly running out of cash adding to people's woes, Shah said it will take some time to re-programme cash-dispensers so that they could accept and dispose new currency notes.
"ATM is a machine and not human. It operates as per weight and size of currency notes. The weight and size of new notes are different and it will take some time to re-programme them," he said.

Right now only Rs 100 notes were available, causing ATMs to run out of them quickly.
"People will have inconvenience for some days. That is why I have sought their cooperation," he said.