In the run up to the bitterly fought Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress had promised better days for farmers. The party now has promises to keep. With the party firmly in the saddle, it is high time that it gets cracking so that the voters who backed it going by its promises don't repent their choice. This is all the more important keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which is going to be the grand finale in the battle of ballots.
In its Karnataka election manifesto, the grand old party had announced five key pre-poll guarantees - including 200 units of free power and 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household - and said it would approve them in its first cabinet meeting if voted to power.
For farmers, the manifesto - 'Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota' (Peaceful garden of all communities) - said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be based on Agriculture Price Commission recommendation. The party has promised an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore over next five years to complete pending irrigation projects in Karnataka, Rs 1.5 lakh crore for modernisation of agriculture, and Rs 50,000 crore for development of infrastructure in villages.
Under 'Ksheera Kranti' scheme, a target will be set to produce 1.5 crore litres of milk daily in Karnataka, the party had said. It also promised to enhance financial incentive to the farmer from Rs 5 to Rs 7 per litre. Under 'Matsya Kranthi' scheme, Rs 12,000 crore would be invested to improve income in blue economy. The Congress had also pledged to complete the Yettinahole irrigation project within 2 years of coming to power.
Rs 5,000 crore investment in tourism sector and setting up of a Rs 1,009 crore fund for MSME sector were among its other announcements. The party has also promised Karnataka State Educational Finance Corporation with a seed funding of ₹ 2,000 crore to provide scholarships. It has said all vacancies of teachers, doctors and other staff in education and health departments would be filled up.
The party will also strive to increase solar power production by 5,000 MW. With increasing number of people now dependent on gig work, the Congress has promised setting up of Gig Workers Welfare Board besides separate boards for auto drivers and taxi drivers. While it has promised hawking zones in all districts, it has also promised minimum wages for garment workers.
It seeks give guarantees of the party: Gruha Jyothi (electricity), Gruha Lakshmi (₹2,000 every month to women heads of families), Anna Bhagya (food grains to BPL families), Yuvanidhi (unemployment support) and Shakti (free travel for women under State buses).
While it has said that it would sympathetically consider the demands of government employees who joined service after 2006 to implement the Old Pension Scheme, it also promises to bring a transparent tendering system in major departments, such public works. panchayat raj, irrigation, urban development and power.