Jairam Ramesh slams Centre over farmer aid, cites Jagdeep Dhankhar's inflation remark

May 05, 2025

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's remark that inflation should be considered while providing aid to farmers to take a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking why he had not done so.

Dhankhar on Sunday advocated for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in fertiliser subsidies for farmers, based on the US pattern, and demanded that inflation be factored in while providing financial assistance to agriculturists, like the salaries of legislators and MPs.

Addressing faculty members and students of the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agriculture University in Gwalior, the vice-president said, "The prime minister has factored in inflation while revising the salaries of legislators and MPs, so why not when supporting farmers? Assistance provided to farmers must also account for inflation".

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Speaking in Gwalior yesterday the irrepresible Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankarji said: 'The prime minister has factored in inflation while revising salaries of legislators, so why not when supporting farmers?" "Indeed, why not Mr Prime Minister?" Ramesh asked.

Emphasising the need for DBT in fertiliser subsidies, Dhankhar had said, "In the US, all aid provided to farmers is given directly, not through intermediaries. Just like we have the PM-KISAN scheme in India, the Indian government also spends heavily on fertiliser subsidies." "It is now a matter for both reflection and research. If the same money is transferred directly to farmers, then each farmer household in India could receive at least Rs 30,000 per year. This amount must be given directly to them," he had added.

Currently, when the government provides fertiliser subsidies, the farmer does not truly feel its impact, he had further said.