Press statement issued by
BJP National President, Shri Rajnath Singh

At Shivamogga

Ever since the UPA government has come to power at the centre, the common man has been forced to deal with miseries on almost all fronts. However, if we have to single out one section of the society that suffered the most during the UPA regime it is the farmers of the country.

The BJP is of the candid opinion that the country’s economic development can succeed only if agriculture is made profitable, if the purchasing power of the farmer and the agriculture workers is substantially increased, if better employment opportunities are created in rural India and by improving the overall living conditions of entire rural India.

During the NDA regime I myself in capacity of Union Agriculture Minister had constituted the National Commission on Farmers. Last year the National Commission on Farmers submitted its report to the government expressing grave concern over the prevailing condition of Agriculture in India.

The committee under Shri M S Swaminathan included our demand to reduce interest rate on agricultural loans to 4 percent. But the UPA Government has failed implement the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission till date.

The farmers in the country form the largest working class. They comprise the largest chunk of producers and consumers in our total population of more than 1 billion people. The concept of equitable and inclusive growth would prove to be an empty rhetoric if the purchasing power of farmers is not increased. If their purchasing power is enhanced it would not only benefit the agriculture sector but also benefit the trade and industrial activity in the country.

BJP demands the government to seriously consider the problems faced by farmers and convene a special session of Parliament for an extensive discussion on all issues pertaining to agriculture.

Today the prices of virtually every agriculture input has risen substantially where as the Minimum Support Prices of most of the agricultural produces have remained either stagnant or even depressed in real terms on account of rising inflation.

The BJP has been fighting fiercely for the legitimate rights of farmers but the Congress led UPA Government is unwilling to comply. The BJP promises the people of Karnataka that when we come to power at the Centre we will increase the MSP of paddy to Rs 1100.

BJP is a party which believes in following a healthy tradition of fulfilling its promises made to the electorate. This is the reason why we have decided to review our performance at regular intervals after coming to power.

I am happy to note that in Karnataka BJP fulfilled the promise of giving loans to farmers at the rate of 4 percent from Co-operative banks. This historic decision was taken by Shri B S Yediyurappa who is now the Chief Ministerial candidate of BJP in Karnataka.

I would like to assure the people of Karnataka that the BJP would extend the provision of loans to farmers at 4 percent to commercial banks as well.

The BJP urges the central government to immediately wake from its deep slumber and take urgent corrective steps on certain important issues concerning the agricultural sector in general and farmers in particular

BJP demands the Government to increase the quantum of public investment in agriculture and mandate banks to earmark 30% of their total loans for credit to the agriculture sector.

UPA Government should implement the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers and assure the farmer of actual cost of production plus 50% over and above this cost as the MSP for his produce.

BJP led NDA Government would implement Farm Income Insurance Scheme to ensure guaranteed income to all farmers in the country. This scheme was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture during my tenure as the Minister.

The BJP warns the Congress led UPA government that the crisis in agriculture sector is deepening further which will lead to a full scale agrarian crisis and even culminate in a social strife if it does not formulate sensible and timely policies benefiting farmers and agricultural labourers in the country.

Anti Dalit and Anti Poor face of UPA

UPA Government has not only betrayed the aspirations of farmers in the country but it also exposed its anti-Dalit and anti-poor face during the last four years.

In the Union Budget of 2008-09 the UPA Government did not allocate adequate funds for the welfare of Scheduled Castes. Under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) it is mandatory for the Government to earmark budget according to the proportion of the SC population, which stands 16.2 percent of the total population of the country.

The total budget allocation Under Plan outlay for 2008-09 is Rs 2, 43, 385.5 crore and under the SCSP plan the UPA Government was bound to allocate Rs 40090.90 crore exclusively for Dalits. But it allocated only Rs 11715.9 crore for the welfare of Scheduled Castes which fall Rs 28, 375.9 crore short of the mandatory SCSP outlay.

Out of 75 Departments/Ministries only 7 ministries have allocated substantial funds for SC welfare whereas the remaining 68 ministries have much less allocations and in some cases even zero allocations.