UPA government farmer friendly: Paswan

Bikaner, Feb 23 (UNI) Union Minister for Steel, Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan today claimed that the UPA government had made all out efforts to keep the prices of chemicals and fertilisers affordable to the farmers.

Addressing a meeting here, Mr Paswan said farmers were charged only Rs 480 per tonne for fertilisiers that were imported at rate of Rs 18,000 per tonne.

He also added that an annual fertiliser subsidy of Rs 48,000 crore is being given to the farmers in the country.

He also pointed out that the prices of 886 life saving drugs had been reduced during the last four years. He also claimed that 1.20 crore people living below the poverty line have benefitted from health insurance.

Talking about the prospect of the social engineering formula of BSP taking root in Rajasthan, Mr Paswan said that the recently held rally in Jaipur was a failure as majority of the people who attended the rally were ferried from Mayawati's home state of Uttar Pradesh.

UNI PJJ MP KN2106