Haryana BJP Manifesto: Agriculture At The Core, But No Loan Waivers

by Anjali Ojha 4 years ago Views 1753

Manohar Lal Khattar
As Haryana goes to the polls soon, the manifesto of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has agriculture, employment and education among its highlights. The BJP plans to bank upon the "corruption-free" image of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. 

In the Haryana elections, a confident BJP is cashing in on the recent decision of abrogating Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. However, the manifesto remains largely focused on agriculture and other socio-economic issues including sports, while the BJP's pet theme of nationalism has not been ignored either. 


For farmers, the manifesto promises easy loans, but no loan waiver. However, it has pledged to waive interest on agriculture loans from cooperative banks to the tune of Rs. 5,000 crores.

It also promises Rs. 6,000 per year to 19 lakh farmers under the central scheme of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, and interest-free loan up to Rs. 3 Lakh. 

Among other promises, farmers coming to sell their produce to sugar mills and agricultural markets will get meals at Rs. 10.

Irrigation for every field, along with promoting organic farming and dairy farming, also figure in the manifesto. It also includes a promise to desalinate one lakh acre of land. 

Taking ahead its nationalism agenda, the BJP has promised to set up martyr's memorials in every district of Haryana. It also promises statues of martyrs in the schools of the area they belonged to. Schools will also celebrate the birth and martyrdom day of soldiers, the manifesto promises. 

Ahead of the polls, the BJP saw the participation of eminent sports personalities including Olympic Medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, Commonwealth Gold Medalist Babita Phogat and former Indian Hockey Captain Sandeep Singh; all of them are contesting the polls. 

Moreover, the manifesto focuses on sports and promises stadiums and gymnasiums in every village; Kabaddi, wrestling and boxing matches with Rs. 5 lakh as a reward in every district, and 1,000 sports nurseries. It also promises a scheme to involve retired sportspersons to promote sports. 

Among the women-centric initiatives, special vans for women and buses for girl students have been promised to provide last-mile connectivity to institutions of higher studies. It also promises more women in police services, sanitary napkin vending machines in public places, more CCTV cameras and self-defence training. However, there is no promise of reservations in jobs or in the legislature for women. 

A common eligibility test has been promised for government jobs. Industries that provide employment to more than 95% of locals have been promised benefits, though the manifesto does not say what. An ambitious plan worth Rs. 500 crore has been promised to provide skill training to 25 lakh youth. 

Focusing on the schedule and backward castes, the BJP has promised collateral-free loans of up to Rs 3 lakh to Dalits. While protests over demolishing a Ravidas temple in Delhi are still on, the BJP has also promised monuments to convey the message of Dalit icons like Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir, Valmiki and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. 

Haryana goes to the polls on October 21. 

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