With elections in Maharashtra,Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana around the corner heres a look at how the prominent political parties in the states are wooing the powerful farmer lobby. A low down of the promises for the farmers in the various poll manifestos. ARUNACHAL PRADESH Congress • Each district to be allotted Rs 10 lakh to prepare district agriculture plan as a precursor to introduction of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. • Five new Krishi Vigyan Kendras to be set up at Tawang,Pempoli,Yachuli,Maro and Kodak shortly in addition to three established by the Congress government at Dirang,Balek and Deomali. • Speeding up completion of cold storage centres at Dirang,Namsai and Ruksin. • Subsidy to the tune of Rs 70,000 per tractor for farmers availing bank loans BJP • Necessary training to farmers to adopt to scientific methods of farming under Agricultural Technology Mission. • Massive irrigation projects to be taken up on war footing in the foothill areas and valleys under Common Area Development Scheme. • Godowns and cold storage facilities in various transit points. • Tea plantation to be encouraged in every village,and a monthly subsidy to the tea growers HARYANA Congress • Agriculture Production rate to be doubled from two to four per cent. • Subsidy on agriculture implements • To further hike the sugarcane price,already the highest in the country besides Rs 2000 subsidy for sugarcane seeds per acre. • A Farmers Commission for the welfare of farmers Kisan Navodaya Vidyalayas scheme for their children INLD • Wheat support price to be Rs 1400 per quintal and sugarcane price to be Rs 250 per quintal. • Fifty per cent subsidy on agriculture implements. • To provide Rs 25000 per acre for crop losses under floods,drought. • Loan at 2 per cent . BJP • Soil Health Card for farmers to record soil and water testing report. • To increase the number of crop purchase centres • 15 hour power supply • Rs 15000 per acre compensation for crop damage in Natural calamity Crop insurance scheme HJC • To adequately compensate farmers for crop losses under hailstorm,floods and drought • To completely waive off bayana (interest on farm loans). • No more utilisation of agricultural land for industrial purposes. • 75 per cent subsidy on submersible pumps. MAHARASHTRA Shiv Sena- BJP: • Waiver of all pending loans and interest,including loans taken from private moneylenders • Not allowing acquisition of farm land for SEZs • Statutory minimum price for agricultural products based on cost of production to ensure economic security for irrigation and rain-fed farmers. • Monthly pension of Rs 500 to farm labour from age of 65 years onwards and farm loans at 4 per cent interest Congress- NCP: • Setting up of small and medium industries in rural areas to process agricultural products • Time bound program to complete irrigation projects • Loans for farmers at 3 per cent rate of interest • Set up export zones for pomegranate,bananas,oranges,grapes,mangoes and sweet lime and infrastructure and export subsidies to be provided by the government Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF): • Farmers to get price at cost of production plus 50 per cent profit • Famine affected farmers to get compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre • Adequate and low cost supply of fertilizers,seeds and pesticides • Strict quantitative restrictions on import of agricultural produce
