In a bid to woo the voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its poll manifesto promised to double farmers’ income by 2022.
The BJP manifesto has promised to expand the coverage of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana’ — launched to ensure financial support to farmers owning land up to 2 hectares — to all the farmers in the country.
It said it will launch a pension scheme for all small and marginal farmers so as to ensure social security on reaching 60 years of age.
The party has promised to make an investment of Rs 24 lakh crore to improve the productivity of the farm sector.
In a major announcement, the BJP manifesto has promised to provide short-term new agricultural loans up to Rs 1 lakh at zero per cent interest rate for 1-5 years on the condition of prompt repayment of the principal amount.
The manifesto also announced voluntary enrolment of farmers under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’.
To expand warehousing infrastructure, the BJP manifesto has promised to establish a National Warehousing Grid along National Highways.
On the lines of Aadhaar project, the party in its manifesto said it will complete digitization of land records on a mission mode.
The ruling party is facing rather tough competition in providing support to the poor as the Congress manifesto has put a major thrust on welfare measures, including a promise of giving Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20 per cent households in India through its minimum income scheme ‘NYAY’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed the Congress manifesto calling it “corrupt and full of hypocrisy and lies”.