Mysore/Mysuru: The Opposition Parties have unnecessarily and intentionally stalled the just concluded Parliament session, said Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.

Addressing a press meet at the BJP Office in Chamarajapuram here this morning, Shobha said that as the Opposition did not allow the introduction of the 39 newly inducted Union Ministers, among whom she was one, in both the Houses of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick enough to announce the nationwide ‘Jan Ashirwad  Yatra’ for seeking the blessings of the people and to reach out to the population.

Explaining the programmes undertaken by the Modi Government for farmer welfare, she said that the Union Government has earmarked a total of Rs.1,31,500 crore for agriculture and other farm related activities in 2021-22 budget, which was just Rs.21,000 crore when the previous UPA Government presented its budget in 2013-14. 

Claiming  that India  currently stands at No.9 position in global food exports, Shobha said the Government was working towards reaching the No.1 spot in a few years from now, by giving a fresh push to the Food Processing Industry. 

Maintaining that the country’s agriculture GDP growth has reached over 20 percent from  the 14 percent when the Congress led UPA Government was in power, Shobha said that despite the very adverse conditions that prevailed following the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic last year, India produced a record 305 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of food grains and 326  MMT of fruits and vegetables. 

Asserting that the country was not facing any food crisis, she said that India was very much self-sufficient in food production.

Pointing out that the only problem that India was facing in the agriculture front was edible oil (the country was importing 70 percent of its cooking oil needs), Shobha said that PM Modi has given a fresh push for promotion of oil seed production in the country, which is expected to bear fruits in a couple of years. 

Noting that the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, she said that India will tap the global millet market for export, with Uttarakhand being the top exporter of millets in the country. She batted for the promotion of organic farming in the country that involves decreased costs and lesser farm inputs.

MP Pratap Simha, MLA L.Nagendra, former MLC Siddaraju, State BJP Vice-President M. Rajendra, City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, leader M. V. Ravishankar and others were present at the press meet.