AHMEDABAD: With the Gujarat Assembly polls drawing closer, Congress has started rolling out promises. On Friday, it promised a waiver in farm loans of up to Rs 3 lakh if voted to power. The AAP and BJP, however, rejected the Congress’ pitch.
The Congress’ renewed thrust on ‘freebies’ comes at a time when the Supreme Court has formed a panel to reexamine the ‘revadi culture’ that has the potential to economically ruin the country.
State Congress chief Jagdish Thakor and ex-chief Bharat Sinh Solanki jointly announced the promise, saying the party always stood with farmers.
“The party will provide free electricity to farmers for 10 hours. Congress will come up with a law to protect the farmers’ right to minimum support price even in the open market. Even when prices of agricultural produce crash in the open market and go below the MSP level, we’ll keep up the loan waiver,” said Thakor.
Congress also promised to give an MSP bonus to farmers. “They will get Rs 5 per litre for contributing in milk production in cooperative dairies,” said Thakor. The party also promised employment to the educated unemployed youth.
The Congress leaders promised that their government would revise domestic/commercial power consumption tariffs and aim to keep the rates down to affordable levels. Other promises made by Congress include 33% reservation for women in cooperative bodies in the state, and a change in laws to “free cooperative sector from the clutches of BJP.”
AAP’s national joint general secretary Isudan Gadhvi said no one would trust Congress. “Farmers gave a chance to Congress for 27 years, but did that party do anything?” he asked, adding, “The Congress has government in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The party should first give 10 hours of electricity to farmers in Rajasthan,”
The BJP too slammed Congress. “Everybody knows what has happened in Rajasthan. The party is a sinking ship. No one will trust its leaders,” said BJP’s Rutvij Patel.
BJP tries to match AAP offer for doles
Soon after Arvind Kejriwal told Gujarat cops that he will revise their pay grade if AAP comes to power, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said “an announcement on police pay grade will be made soon.” The police have been protesting for pay revision.