Poll defeats forced NDA govt to take pro-farmer steps: TRS

Hyderabad: Appreciating the pro-farmer measures in the Union Budget, ruling TRS MP B Vinod Kumar claimed it was electoral defeats that forced the NDA government to do so.

The appreciable initiatives in the Budget include the target of doubling farmers' income in five years, Rs. 2.87 lakh crore as grants-in-aid to Panchayats and municipalities, Rs. 5,500 crore for crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs. 2.2 lakh crore for infrastructure development, National SC/ST Hub for entrepreneurship development and LPG connection to rural women, Kumar said on Monday.
"In democracy, it is the people that are ultimately all-powerful. By defeating the BJP in the elections that have taken place since May 2014, they have sent a clear message. This is what has forced the Narendra Modi government to take notice of their persistent demands and is the real reason why there is a focus on agriculture and rural development," he said.
Another welcome decision is to appoint a committee to review the FRBM Act (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management). This is of special importance to the government of Telangana. Being a revenue surplus state, it is seeking an increased borrowing limit ie up to 3.5 per cent of state GDP, Vinod Kumar said. This requires exemptions under the FRBM Act. In this context, it is a welcome decision to review the working of the Act and the committee should take a decision on this at the earliest,  the MP added.