MSP for all crops, cane arrears in 15 days: Akhilesh promises farmers
LUCKNOW : Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday made several promises to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh, including MSP (minimum statutory price) for every crop, payment of arrears to cane growers in 15 days, free irrigation facilities, interest-free loans, insurance and pension.
Yadav, along with farm leader Tejinder Singh Virk, 48, took a pledge to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming UP Assembly elections. Virk was one of the farm leaders who led the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ protest and he too was severely injured in the Lakhimpur violence on October 3.
“With grains in our hands (wheat and rice from Lakhinpur Kheri), we take ‘ann sankalp’ (pledge) to defeat and remove those who unleashed atrocities on farmers,” said Yadav, Virk, and all the SP leaders present at an event at the SP state headquarters in Lucknow.
“Apart from free power to farmers for irrigation, the SP also promises that on forming the government, we will introduce MSP on all crops, clear dues to cane farmers within 15 days, and make provisions for interest-free loans, insurance and pension for farmers. If need be, we will create a farmers’ revolving fund to ensure timely payments to them,” said Yadav, adding that these promises will be included in the SP’s manifesto. The SP chief reiterated his earlier promise of Rs 25 lakh aid from the government to the family of farmers who died in the farm struggle.
When asked how would all this be possible, he said: “It’s possible. We fulfill all promises we make. But did anyone ask those (Prime minister Narendra Modi) when they had said they will make India a $5-trillion economy and when the UP chief minster too made similar projections.”
Talking about Virk, Yadav said: “When the Lakhimpur incident happened on October 3, and I learned that Tajinder Singh Virk was badly injured and was in a hospital, I spoke to him and also the doctor on duty. I asked the doctors to do their best to save his life, and if needed, shift him to any other hospital. God saved his life.”
Akhilesh Yadav said the farmers’ struggle made the government relent and the farmers succeeded in making the government withdraw the “three black farm laws.” But the BJP actually withdrew the farm laws for votes,” he added.
Will SP field Virk in polls? When asked if the Samajwadi Party will field farm leader Tajinder Singh Virk from Nighasan (a Lakhimpur Kheri assembly seat) or any other, Akhilesh said: “We will accord him full respect.” The comment fuelled speculations that the SP might field Virk from Nighasan. The area where Lakhimpur violence took place on October 3 in the Nighasan assembly constituency.
Reacting to Yadav’s ‘Ann Sankalp’, UP minister Suresh Rana said: “It was during the SP government’s tenure that rioters were flown in aircraft and given feast of biryani.”