Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda has virtually announced his return to national politics after having confined himself to Karnataka’s affairs for nearly a decade.
“We will give top priority to completion of ongoing irrigation projects by doubling the outlay on accelerated irrigation scheme which was introduced in 1996 (during his prime ministership),” Deve Gowda said while releasing his party’s manifesto in the national capital today.
The JD(S) chief said a National Agriculture Price Stabilisation Fund would be created by allocating Rs 5,000 crore to provide price support to food grain crops and fruit and vegetable crops.
He also announced a nationwide pension scheme to provide a monthly pension of Rs 500 to all marginal and small farmers and agricultural labourers above the age of 60 years.
The JD(S) said it would write off all past loans of small and marginal farmers, borrowed from cooperative and public sector banks from 1991 onwards.
“The government will repay these loans to banks in instalments so that the banking institutions do not suffer,” Gowda said, adding that a semi-judicial authority to conduct arbitration proceedings in case of disputes relating to private money lenders would also be set up.
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The JD(S) chief, who prides himself as a ‘humble farmer’, said his party would “give top priority to completion of ongoing irrigation projects by doubling the outlay on accelerated irrigation scheme which was introduced in 1996”.
The party will also introduce a comprehensive health card for the below poverty line (BPL) families who will be entitled to avail treatment including investigation, hospitalisation and medicines for all diseases,” Gowda said.
He added that the party would review all previous decisions of privatisation and would reverse them, if necessary, to strengthen the country’s public sector.
The former PM also said his party would amend the RBI Act to change the mode of selection and appointment of RBI governors. “It will be reserved only for the experienced professional bankers and professional monetary economists. The practice of appointing retired bureaucrats as governors will be discontinued,” Gowda said.
The party also decided to set up a national university each in those states which do not have these institutes. This apart, it will open one IIT and one IIM in those states where they do not exist. Gowda added his party would also declare Jamia Millia Islamia as a minority university with 50 per cent seats reserved for Muslim students.