Modi woos poll-bound Karnataka farmers through mobile app

Addressing cadres of the party's state farmers' cells (Kisan Morcha Karyakartas) through his NaMo app, Modi listed the various pro-farmer schemes initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government to improve their welfare and income over the last four years.

"Nature, farmers and the government have to work hand-in-hand. We are trying to look at the agriculture sector holistically -- from soil health to taking its produce to the market (beej se bazaar thak)," said Modi in his 40-minute interactive audio-video discussion in Hindi.

Accusing the ruling Congress in the state of remaining indifferent to farmers' issues, Modi regretted that they (farmers) did not benefit from of the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme) because the state government did not care to implement it.

"Hence, it's time for the people to form such a government in Karnataka that understands the farmers' issues. Our annual budgets so far have been hailed as farmers' budgets for the measures taken to benefit them," asserted Modi.

Highlighting the importance of agriculture in the country's economy, Modi said the NDA government had issued 93-lakh soil health cards to the farmers across the state till date and fertilisers were distributed with neem coating to help the soil gain more nutrients and produce higher yields.

"In the Union Budget for 2018-19, we have increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to 1.5 times of the production cost to double the farmers' income," reiterated Modi.

Tech-savvy Modi first used the NaMo app on April 26 to connect with his party's state unit cadres, leaders and candidates ahead of the polls on May 12 and vote-counting on May 15.