Agriculture, contributing about 25 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in Uttar Pradesh, estimated at almost Rs 6,00,000 crore (current prices), is the main focus for the economic agenda of main political parties for the 2012 assembly poll.
The parties vying for power, on Tuesday spelt out their economic agenda for UP threadbare at the annual Business Standard Round Table ‘Samriddhi’, over the theme ‘Uttar Pradesh: The Economic Agenda’.
These parties were unanimous that agriculture and allied industries would be the axis of any sustainable growth model for the state.
UP is home to almost 200 million people and contributes 20 per cent to the food pool of the country. It is a micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) hub, with three million units.
Representatives of the Samajwadi Party, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) took part in the conclave before a select audience comprising industrialists, bankers and professionals. The session was conducted and summed up by Mohd Muzammil, professor of economics at Lucknow University.
BJP spokesperson Satyadev Singh said the lacuna with UP had been that the economic policies change with regimes. “If UP wants qualitative improvement in the economy, agriculture needs to be the priority. If the BJP comes to power, we would ensure agri credit to farmers at one per cent interest, reduction of tax burden, so that agriculturists get the true value of their commodities,” he said.
UP Congress Committee (UPCC) research and development cell chairman Tariq Siddiqui said the state had witnessed downfall in every economic parameter since the 1990s.
“Any economic agenda would succeed only with political will, which has been missing with the recent state governments. Today, only a handful of industrial houses are benefiting in UP, while industry in general is feeling frustrated due to bad law and order and lack of incentives,” he added.
Siddiqui stressed backend infrastructure in agriculture and broached upon the ‘Health Card’ concept in the sector to ascertain the specific needs of soil and crops.
SP spokesperson and former legislator Rajendra Chaudhary said since 70 per cent of the state’s population lived in villages and were supported by agriculture, any economic policy could not afford to ignore that segment. “Industry, trade and modern economy cannot be sustained without agriculture,” he added.
RLD state president Baba Hardev Singh brought up the issue of assured irrigation and an assured market for farmers. “Investment in agriculture is minimal, as farmers cannot afford it and R&D in agricultural sector is not being implemented,” he regretted.
“RLD supports public private partnership (PPP) model in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS). We need to give proper attention towards fodder and water management issues, which would be grave in coming years,” he warned.
RLD would work towards formation of a Youth Commission, if it comes to power.
