PM unveils projects worth ₹14k-cr; attacks UPA govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated projects worth ₹14,000 crore, reached out to farmers, unveiled a state-of-the-art facility for devotees at Shirdi's Sai Baba temple, and launched an attack on the previous UPA government for "misappropriation" of funds during his visit to Maharashtra.

- Surendra P Gangan

Addressing a rally in Ahmednagar, the prime minister made a veiled attack at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar, accusing him of turning a blind eye to farmers' issues. "A senior leader from Maharashtra was agriculture minister in the central government. I respect him, but what has he done for the farmers? Their government paid ₹3.5 lakh crore towards minimum support price [MSP] for their [farmers'] produce," Modi said. "Our government has distributed ₹13.50 lakh crore to the farmers in seven years through MSP." 

Pawar was the Union agriculture minister in Manmohan Singh government from 2004 to 2014.

Attacking the previous UPA government, Modi said, earlier, farmers could not get their dues without the involvement of agents and that payments were delayed for years. However, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has given fair remunerative price of ₹315 per quintal to cane farmers, he said while addressing the gathering in Kopargaon, which is known for its sugar cooperatives.