The State unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has come out with a slew of attractive promises to the farming community in its special manifesto for farmers, which was released here on Sunday. Income security to farmers, setting aside 10 per cent of the budget for agriculture, an income commission, daytime electricity and solar pump sets are some of the highlights of the manifesto.
The party is promising an income security system that will guarantee an annual income of Rs. 1 lakh to each farming household. “Successive government’s could not stop farmer suicides because they neglected the community. We will stand by the farming community and promise sustained incomes,” said State Committee member, AAP, Ravela Aruna, after releasing the manifesto.
The AAP manifesto has proposed to set up a permanent farmer’s income commission to ensure minimum income levels. It also promised loans and insurance to 30 lakh tenant farmers, land titles to women, a package of Rs.100 crore to each district which is affected by farmer-suicides and a special mission for rain-fed agriculture and support to dry land crops.
“We will conduct a comprehensive review of Jalayagnam projects by a sitting High Court judge. So far, Rs.60, 000 crore has been spent on Jalayagnam with little ayacut to show,” said Kirankumar Vissa, AAP leader for Farmers' Wing.
The AAP manifesto proposes Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee system for 25 crops including cereals, pulses, millets and oilseeds. In instances wherein prices fall below MSP, Government will make timely market intervention to compensate farmers. Crop insurance will be given to real cultivators including tenants and women and they won’t be tied to bank loans, manifesto said.
The party manifesto has a proposal for direct paddy procurement from farmers instead of procuring rice from rice millers and single-window farmer service centres. The party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Srikakulam, I Jaidev was also present.
