BJP voices concerns over suicides, unemployment

The BJP, in a resolution passed at its National Council in Lucknow, demanded that the government waive all loans given to farmers in cases where there has been crop failure, high indebtedness and suicides by farmers.

The party also demanded that the government convene a conference of chief ministers to deliberate on the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers.

Highlighting the point that prices had gone up like never before, the party demanded that the public distribution system (PDS) be streamlined, and be recalibrated on the lines of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana of the NDA government.

"A basket of essential food and non-food items should be made available to all below poverty line families at highly-reduced rates, and food allocations to above poverty line families should also be restored," said the resolution.

The BJP also asked that interest rates for the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and other deposit schemes be hiked with immediate effect. The resolution deplored the UPA government's move to reduce the rates of interest from 9.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent.

The BJP also took the UPA government on, over its prized flagship programme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Quoting Professor Jean Dreze, one of the architects of the programme, the BJP accused the UPA of butchering it. In fact the BJP patted itself on the back for the track record of BJP ruled states in implementing the programme.

A special mention was made of the Gujarat government for launching the Jyoti Gram Yojana for rural electrification.