NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked NDA MPs to ensure cent percent coverage of farmers under the new crop insurance scheme, and asked lawmakers to take it up as a challenge.
Modi’s remarks came during the NDA’s parliamentary party meeting in the national capital where MPs were told about the achievements of the government and the highlights of the budget. It was the first time that the BJP’s allies had been called to the parliamentary party meeting, as earlier it was solely a BJP affair.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu made a presentation of the NDA’s work in the past two years, while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke about the key features of his budget, presented a day before. Such an exercise was organised as it was felt that it was necessary to educate the MPs on the work down by the government so that they could combat the Opposition parties’ “propaganda.”
BJP president Amit Shah felicitated both Modi and Jaitley for the pro-poor budget. Both were given a standing ovation, sources at the meeting said. BJP MPs also praised HRD minister Smriti Irani’s “spirited” response in Parliament during the JNU debate.
During his presentation Naidu presented factual details of 60 key schemes. Referring to the Opposition’s criticism that a large number of accounts opened under the Jan Dhan Yojna scheme had no money, the Minister said that 20.72 crore accounts had been opened and they had deposits worth Rs 33, 379 crore.
Jaitley said his budget was aimed at addressing rural distress and gave a fillip to growth by improving infrastructure and investment climate.
Meanwhile, the PM is expected to reply during the motion of thanks on the President’s Address on Wednesday where he will talk about his government’s achievements and address some of the criticism directed.
Sena not invited to NDA meeting
Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant claimed his party was not invited to a meeting of NDA allies in New Delhi on Tuesday and conveyed its displeasure to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu. Another Sena MP, Sanjay Raut, blamed “miscommunication” on BJP’s part for the omission.