Ahead of assembly elections in Punjab, the BJP, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC)-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance on Tuesday made many big promises related to the agriculture industry. The alliance has promised a loan waiver to small-time farmers' entire debt whose holding is 5 acres or less in Punjab.
In the past times, Punjab chief ministers - Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi have made several promises to farmers to pay their entire debt with the NDA government at the Centre. But the BJP opposed the decision and called it a bad call for the economy.
Addressing the state and releasing its manifesto for the assembly elections the party has promised 'Mehnat Da Pakka Mull' under which the minimum support price (MSP) for farmers growing fruits, vegetables, pulses, and oilseeds which will be granted by the central government's MSP extension program. The alliance also promised a budget of 5,000 crores for agriculture to sustain the crops.
The rural manifesto was released by BJP in charge for Punjab Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, SAD (Sanyukt) president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and BJP state general secretary Subhash Sharma. The alliance in manifesto has also promised one lakh acre of shamlat land allocation to rural landless farmers for their crops. Not only this but every farmer would be given annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Yojana.
Meanwhile, the elections will be held to elect 117 members of the Legislative Assembly in Punjab. This year the main competition will be between two ruling parties Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Punjab election was going to be held on a single-phase on February 14 but now it changed to 20th February.