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Citizens in New Delhi and in Bihar have objected to Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma's remark that farmers were benefiting from inflation. Farmers in Bihar said on Monday that they were not benefiting from inflation, as they get the same money for their produce, irrespective of the price rise. "Our produce is not sold at high price. Vegetables are sold at 300 rupees per 40 kilograms, is it expensive? As the prices in markets are rising, we should also get better prices for our produce but we do not get better price," said Sudhir Prasad, a farmer. Another farmer, Babloo Prasad, complained that input costs have increased because of the rise in the price of fertilizers. "No, whatever he (Verma) said is very wrong, because, two years ago, the market rate of rice was something else, and now, it has increased. We have to think twice before selling, as we do not get money according to the increased rates. So is the case with onions. Prices of fertilizers like DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), Urea, etc are constantly increasing and we are helpless," he said. Meanwhile, residents in New Delhi lashed out at Verma and the Congress party for making and endorsing such a statement. "They are constantly pinning nails in their coffins, and it is impossible for them to come to power again. They are involved in so many scams, and every citizen of the country has seen their true colours by now. And now, these kind of statements, when will they ever learn? They are totally out of the sync with the reality. The statement shows that they are out of touch with ground realities," said Ratna Singh. Siddharth said the government is profiting from inflation. "The farmers are not gaining anything as they are selling their produce at the same rates. The only people who are benefiting are the middlemen and government and the scams prove this. So many people are sitting on huger strikes and protests must be having a point. The common man is facing the brunt," he said. Inflation dropped to 6.87 percent in July from 7.25 percent in June as domestic gasoline and vegetable prices fell in July. But global oil prices have been rising since then and drought in some parts of India is threatening fresh inflationary pressures. Poor rains have slowed the speed of planting Kharif crops such as rice, cereals, pulses and oilseeds including soybean, but areas under sugar cane and cotton, primarily grown in irrigated regions, have been higher than the previous year. More than half of the arable land in India , one of the world's biggest producers of cotton, rice, sugar and wheat, is rain-fed. A successful monsoon means rural residents have more money to spend on everything from motorcycles to refrigerators.

Farmers express distress over Steel Minister Verma’s inflation remark