Centre to extend Rs 6,000 farmers’ dole to fisher families

The BJP’s manifestos in Bengal and Puducherry have already promised to replicate the annual assistance of Rs 6,000 given to farmers for fishermen as well if it comes to power.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Photo| Twitter)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Photo| Twitter)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the Centre will provide an assistance of Rs 6,000 per year to fishermen on the lines of the aid currently given to farmers under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The BJP’s manifestos in Bengal and Puducherry have already promised to replicate the annual assistance of Rs 6,000 given to farmers for fishermen as well if it comes to power.

“Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, our government is transferring Rs 6,000 per year to the bank accounts of farmers across the country. We will also transfer Rs 6,000 to the bank accounts of fishermen  and effectively implement the Central scheme,” said Rajnath, who was in Thiruvananthapuram as part of  the NDA’s campaign for the assembly elections. 

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is demanding a separate Union ministry for fisheries, is unaware that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted such a ministry in 2019 itself. He said fishermen were being given Kisan credit cards and loans as well.The defence minister termed as ‘unconstitutional’ the state government’s decision to institute a judicial inquiry against the central agencies probing gold smuggling and related cases. He said the move was a challenge to the federal structure of the Constitution.

The state government had recently decided to order a judicial inquiry against the central agencies, including Enforcement Directorate, for allegedly derailing the probe in the gold and dollar smuggling scam cases. The move came days after the state Crime Branch registered an FIR against unidentified ED officials. 

Allaying concerns about implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Rajnath promised that the citizenship of Indian nationals will be protected irrespective of their religion. The defence minister said the BJP government has fulfilled key promises in its manifesto, including abolition of Article 370, ending of triple talaq and enactment of CAA.             

On Uniform Civil Code, the Union minister said it was a part of the manifesto which will also be implemented. “At the appropriate time, by taking all communities into confidence, we can move forward,” he added.  Singh also flayed both the LDF and UDF and added that people in the state have realised that only the BJP could provide a political alternative to the two fronts. Both the LDF and UDF were giving false promises and had failed to understand the aspirations of the people of Kerala, he said.

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