New Delhi, 10 March (H.S.): Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the West Bengal government and opposition of cheap politics at the expense of poor farmers during Lok Sabha Question Hour Tuesday, branding their denial of central schemes a grave sin.

Chouhan charged TMC under Mamata Banerjee with open injustice by blocking PM Dhan-Dhanya Yojana in four border districts—Darjeeling, Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Alipurduar—aimed at cutting cultivation costs, boosting irrigation, and easing credit.

Implemented in 96 of India's 100 districts, Bengal's exclusion stemmed purely from PM name aversion, he alleged; voters will respond at polls.

National Agri Triumph Under Modi

India's foodgrain output hit record ~357 million tonnes, overtaking China as top rice producer (>150 MT), with wheat, mustard, soybean, groundnut surges. From PL-480 import dependence, silos now overflow—storage woes amid global acclaim. Pulses jumped to 25-26 MT from 19 MT; horticulture exceeded 369 MT, bolstering farmer incomes.

Chouhan decried non-implementation of PM Fasal Bima Yojana and Natural Farming Mission, questioning harm by Bengal's farmers to warrant such deprivation. While Centre combats chemical overuse via soil health drives, TMC prioritizes vote-banks over land and public wellness.

BJP's Bengal Pledge

A future BJP government will enforce all schemes full-throttle, Chouhan vowed, aligning with Modi's food basket vision and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam for global security—contrasting opposition's obstructionism. Natural farming clusters span lakhs of hectares, training 1 crore+ farmers; Ganga banks prioritized for chemical-free revival safeguarding water, soil, humans.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar