Budget fails to address issues of farmers, labourers, tribals: Rakesh Tikait

Agra: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Chaudhary Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said the Union Budget 2026-27 failed to address the core issues of rural India comprising the country's farmers, labourers and tribal communities.He said the budget lacked provisions for farm loan waiver or legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), offering no concrete relief to farmers amid rising input costs, inflation, mounting debt and falling incomes.Tikait said no measures were announced to boost employment, raise minimum wages or ensure social security for farm labourers. He warned that unemployment among rural youth could worsen.Tikait expressed disappointment in the unchanged annual income support of Rs 6,000 for farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. "There was hope that it would be increased to Rs 12,000 considering the inflation. This is our right. We submit our demands in writing every year, but there has been no significant changes."Tikait said the upcoming Seeds Act will be opposed. "Adulterated seeds are being sold without any govt monitoring, and farmers facing crop losses are not being adequately compensated. The crop insurance scheme is ineffective as many farmers' crops are destroyed by water," he said.He said issues regarding water, forests, land, education, health and livelihood of tribal communities were not given due priority and that the budget instead favoured urban and corporate interests. Tikait said the budget was detached from ground realities and urged the govt to rethink its policies with farmers and rural India at the core.