After a waiving off farm loans in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, following their victory in the three states and making a historic announcement of coming up with Minimum Income Guarantee scheme if raised to power, the Congress is set to further their Lok Sabha poll campaign with yet another plan announcement.
According to an India Today report, the grand old party could add a wide-ranging plan addressing the farmer’s distress to their manifesto.
Here are some key take-aways from the Congress plans shared:
- Congress plans to review Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to come up with an alternative. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is an actuarial premium based scheme under which farmers are required to pay a maximum premium of 2% for Kharif, 1.5% for Rabi food & oilseed crops and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops with remaining part getting shared equally by the Centre and State Government.
- Kisan Credit Cards(KCC) could see a fresh look with Congress easing the process. KCC can be used by farmers to readily purchase agriculture inputs such as seeds and fertilizers and draw cash for their production needs.
- Party could expand the ambit of the Minimum Support Price(MSP) and add various crops and forest produce.
- Congress may plan to establish a state-level Agricultural Prices Commission making sure that farmers receive the decent prices.
- The party could add “setting up special agriculture zones”, in the poll manifesto.
- GST framework on agriculture equipments can see a renewal and the rates could be changed eyeing low investment cost.
- Sugarcane farmers might get a breather with the party planning to add a stabilisation fund to the list of its poll promises.
- Party plans to support start-up who provide technical know-how support to the farmers.
In the run-up to the elections of the five states in November-December 2018, the Congress President Rahul Gandhi had said that he would change the Chief Minister if they don’t waive off farmer loans in ten days after the coming of the results.
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