Farmers Movement Archive

UP assembly polls: RLD announces its election manifesto, promises to get farm laws scrapped

LUCKNOW: Getting the new farm laws scrapped, grant of the status of martyrs to those who died while protesting against the said laws and employment to 1 crore youth are some of the key promises made by the Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal in its manifesto announced on Sunday. This was the first election manifesto by a political party ahead of the state polls due in the next few months. The development marked RLD positioning itself against the saffron outfit ostensibly in the restive west UP region which was also impacted by the farmers' stir against the farm laws brought in by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The move attained pertinence in the wake of Lakhimpur incident in which eight people, including four protesting farmers died after an SUV belonging to junior home minister Ajay Mishra’s son ploughed through them. The incident had attained political overtones following alleged involvement of junior home minister Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish. Jayant also declared that on forming the government, a financial grant of Rs 12,000 per annum would be given to farmers on December 23 which is observed as `Kisan Diwas' to mark the birth anniversary of his grandfather and former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh. "Alongside, small farmers cultivating barren lands along the border will receive Rs 15,000 annually on the day," the manifesto said. The move is seen as counter to NDA government’s PM Kisan Samman Nidhi which entails an annual grant of Rs 6,000 to farmers annually. "Currently, 2 crore and 82 lakh farmers receive Rs. 6,000 in three annual installments under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. The additional amount will be credited to the bank accounts of farmers in lump-sum on ‘Kisan Diwas’," the manifesto said. The RLD chief also said that his party will help double the growth of the state's agricultural sector. At the same time, a commission on agriculture will be strengthened and made more effective. In a bid to provide relief to the farmers from the high cost of electricity, a policy of ‘Puraane Bill Maaf, Bijli Dar Half’ (Scrapping of Old Bills, Halving of New Bills) will be implemented, the party said. The manifesto further promised that the State Advisory Price (SAP) for sugarcane will be announced at the time of its sowing of the crop. The announcement assumed pertinence as RLD has its political base essentially in the west UP which is rich in cane cultivation. The RLD categorically promised that in the first session, SAP worth 1.5 times the cost will be announced and thereafter, the price of sugarcane will be attached to the inflation index. "Payments for sugarcane will be made in 14 days. Defaulting sugar mills will be made to undergo forensic audits. Strict legal action will be taken against sugar mills and mill owners found delaying payments to farmers," the manifesto read. It added that installation of distilleries and production of ethanol will be made compulsory for all sugar mills. Moreover, Farmers’ Cooperatives and small private units will be granted licenses for the production of ethanol. A proposal will be submitted to the GST Council to reduce the GST rates on tractors and other farming implements. Subsidies on farming implements will be directly credited to the bank accounts of farmers. Also a new ‘Rajya Fasal Bima Yojana’ will replace the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). A premium will be paid to the farmers by the state government. A compensation for crops destroyed by stray animals will also be decided.

The Times of India

2021-11-01

Lucknow