SP: MSP for all crops, free irrigation

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Monday made several promises to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh including MSP for every crop, free irrigation facilities, payment of arrears to cane-growers in 15 days, interest-free loans, and insurance and pension.

Yadav also said that cases lodged against farmers during their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws would be withdrawn, and the families of farmers who died during the protest would be given Rs 25 lakh each.

Speaking to the media here, the SP supremo said all these promises would be part of the party’s election manifesto for the assembly elections in the state.

He said a special ‘Farmers Revolving Fund’ would be created, if needed, to ensure the payment of arrears to sugarcane farmers in 15 days.

Before announcing the blueprint, the SP chief took an “Anna Sankalp” (food commitment) to express his firm resolve for the welfare of the farmers in the state. He said the party has already vowed to provide 300 units of electricity to everybody.

The Samajwadi Party, which has entered into an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Ddal, is trying to cash in on the recent farmers’ agitation.

The western Uttar Pradesh, from where many farmers had participated in the stir against the agrimarketing laws on Delhi borders, is scheduled to vote in the first phase of voting on February 10. Rakesh Tikait, one of the more prominent faces of the year-long agitation, hails from this region,

While explaining in detail his party’s plan for the farmers, the SP chief did not miss an opportunity to attack the BJP, accusing it of neglecting farmers during its rule.

“The BJP in its 2017 polls manifesto had promised to double the income of the farmers. Has it been achieved?” he asked. Referring to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which four farmers were knocked down in October last year, the former CM said the incident was even worse than the infamous Jallianwala Bagh case.