Mumbai, Jan 26 (IANS): Maharashtra NCP(SP) chief Jayant Patil has listed a slew of achievements of Sharad Pawar during his tenure as the Union Agriculture Minister saying that he turned India into an exporting country from importing one, provided good guaranteed prices to crops, gave subsidies to orchards and launched horticulture programme which benefitted the farmers in a big way.
In his response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s criticism against Pawar, Patil said, "No one has done as much work as Sharad Pawar as the Agriculture Minister in the history of India. If those who raised questions had understood Pawar's work, they would not have criticised him.”
Amit Shah at two functions held in Malegaon and Mumbai on Friday took a dig at Pawar saying that it was not adequate to become a leader by doing marketing, but it is necessary to work on the ground. Shah also questioned why a separate cooperation department was not started when Pawar was minister for a decade and further asked what he did for Maharashtra’s cooperation movement, the sugar mills and farmers.
Patil said, “When Sharad Pawar was the Agriculture Minister, food grain production increased by 60 million tons. A country that was once an importer of food grains started exporting. Nearly 260 million tons of food grain production was done during Sharad Pawar's time. In 2013, India produced 100 million tons of rice for the first time. The whole world applauded the country. Sharad Pawar started the National Horticulture Mission wherein Rs 8,000 crore were spent. The benefit of this was that 60 lakh hectares came under irrigation.” He added that the country received foreign exchange of Rs 14,000 crore through agriculture exports by meeting the country’s needs. About 147 million tons of vegetables were produced in an area of 80 lakh hectares.
NCP(SP) leader further said, “If Amit Shah travels around the country, farmers will tell him that Pawar Saheb emptied their 7/12 extract with the help of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He did not stop there, but later he also gave the farmers a special package. The Fair and Remunerative Price FRP was introduced and it was strictly implemented. I can tell him many such things.”
He further added that “Amit Shah should not dare to come to Maharashtra repeatedly and raise questions on Pawar Saheb. The people of Maharashtra have immense faith in Pawar Saheb and the people’s faith will not decrease by raising questions about his contribution.”
Patil reminded the Union Home Minister that the farm loan waiver scheme worth Rs 70,000 crore was implemented when Sharad Pawar was agriculture minister. During the drought, he gave Rs 2,200 crore to Maharashtra. In addition, he helped the sugarcane growers and grape growers to improve production and thereby their income.