BJP Commits Rs 10,000 Annually to Benefit Landless Agricultural Workers

In an election year marked by heightened promises and commitments, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its 47-page manifesto for Chhattisgarh, aptly titled "Modi's Guarantees for Chhattisgarh." The manifesto presents a range of welfare schemes, prominently featuring an income support initiative for landless agricultural laborers, matching a similar commitment made by the ruling Congress party.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the BJP's manifesto in Raipur, where the party pledged to provide Rs 10,000 annually to Chhattisgarh's landless agricultural laborers under the "Deendayal Upadhyay Krishi Mazdoor Kalyan Yojana." This initiative aligns with the Congress's promise to offer the same amount as annual support to landless agricultural laborers in the state.

In the larger context of income support, the BJP's manifesto parallels the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, which provides Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers. Notably, the PM-Kisan scheme does not encompass landless tenant farmers or agricultural laborers. A few states, like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, have introduced their schemes to aid landless tenant farmers.

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The BJP's manifesto for Chhattisgarh also draws inspiration from schemes in neighboring states, particularly Madhya Pradesh, with plans to distribute Rs 12,000 annually to all married women in the state through the "Mahtari Vandan Scheme," akin to Madhya Pradesh's "Ladli Bahna" scheme.

Furthermore, the BJP has promised free laptops/tablets to college students and Rs 2,000 annual support to street vendors in the state.

Agricultural policy has been a central focus in the election narrative, with both the BJP and the Congress vying for the favor of farmers. The BJP has joined the "paddy procurement politics," announcing plans to purchase 21 quintals of paddy per acre from farmers at a rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal. This move follows the recent increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by the Centre to Rs 2,183 per quintal. The Congress government in Chhattisgarh had previously announced the procurement of 20 quintals of paddy per acre at Rs 2,500 per quintal, with a promise to increase it to Rs 3,000 per quintal if re-elected.

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In addition to these agricultural measures, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh had introduced the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, providing an input subsidy of Rs 9,000 per acre, or Rs 600 per quintal for the 15 quintals procured per acre. The BJP's promises also extend to the provision of cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 each for underprivileged families, filling 100,000 vacant government posts within two years, subsidized pilgrimage to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and monthly travel allowances for college students via direct benefit transfer.

The BJP's vision for Chhattisgarh encompasses social welfare initiatives, including constructing 1.8 million houses under the PM Awas Yojana, offering free school education, introducing a 'free breakfast scheme' in addition to the existing 'free midday meal scheme' for students in government schools, and establishing a Rs 150 crore agriculture input price stabilization fund. The party also pledged Rs 5 lakh insurance for farmers and landless agricultural laborers, underlining its commitment to support various sections of the state's population.

With these promises and initiatives, the political landscape in Chhattisgarh remains charged as parties vie for the favor of voters in the upcoming elections.

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