Agriculture is thrust area for BJP: Amit Shah

Insisting that agriculture is the thrust area for BJP, its chief Amit Shah today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be launching a soil health card scheme throughout the country for the benefit of the farming community.
He said the Modi government is making plans to put all 'mandis' online, a step that will also benefit the farmers.
Addressing BJP's 'Kisan Morcha' meet, the party chief blamed Congress for the imbalance between agriculture and population and low GDP.
"The country's development is possible only through development of agriculture and upliftment of farmers... BJP's thrust is on agriculture. In the states where BJP is in power farmers have benefitted the most as agriculture policies are beneficial to farmers," Shah said.

He said BJP government had started the soil health card scheme for farmers in Gujarat and now Modi will be launching the scheme throughout the country.
Rajasthan has started its implementation already, he said.

"Our intent is to see that farmers do not have to take loan for agriculture," the BJP president said.
Referring to problems faced by sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh, he said Congress and BSP governments are responsible for it and the Prime Minister has taken the issue seriously.
In Gujarat, cooperative societies have been formed and there are no problems for sugarcane farmers who are getting their dues paid on time.

In Uttar Pradesh, Congress and other political parties have demolished the cooperative system, Shah charged.
The BJP chief asked party workers to work for the benefit of farmers and motivate them to encourage animal husbandary and milk production.
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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said
the Centre had alloted Himachal Pradesh Rs 75,000 crore worth of projects but these had not made "satisfactory progress due to the state government's lukewarm response".
Listing achievements of the Centre, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, P K Dhumal claimed he raised the One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) scheme for the first time in 1990.

"I had asked the government to bring the OROP scheme by removing anomalies in it. However, it was only implemented by the present government," he said.
Dhumal claimed every section of the society was annoyed with the state government and they would express their resentment in the Assembly polls which BJP will win with majority.
The conclave was attended by senior BJP leaders and MPs from the state and similar meets will be held in Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra parliamentary constituencies.