Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi promises farmers' commission, mechanism for loan waiver

Amravati (Maharashtra), April 24: In a major announcement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday assured of setting up a special farmers commission to tackle the problems of agriculture loans and set up a mechanism to ease the financial burden of the land-tillers, and ensure 'nyay' (justice) to various sections of the society.

Addressing an election rally in the Amravati (SC) Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul Gandhi said that if elected, the INDIA bloc-Congress government will immediately write off the loans of all farmers in the country.

"Not only this, we shall also set up a farmers' commission which would advise the government whenever a loan waiver is required, and it will be done, as many times as required," the Wayanad MP said.

In a speech punctuated with huge rounds of applause and cheers from the gathering, Rahul Gandhi claimed that in the last 10 years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule, the peasants' loans have not been waived off.

Promising to uplift crores of families and make them millionaires, the Congress leader said that the Mahalakshmi Scheme will be first implemented as mentioned in the party's election manifesto.

"We shall prepare a list of all the poor families in the country and one woman shall be selected per household, and the INDIA bloc government will deposit Rs 1 lakh into their bank accounts, or Rs 8,500 per month. The entire family would benefit from this amount. They (BJP) made 25 billionaires, we shall make crores as millionaires," Rahul Gandhi said, to a deafening roar of applause.

On the question of Anganwadi workers, he said that the salaries of these women shall be doubled, and women shall be entitled to reservations in government and public sector jobs.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led regime for failing on its promises of 2 crore jobs, Rahul Gandhi said that this has resulted in the highest unemployment rate facing the country in the past 45 years.

"Many of the jobless youth are wandering around aimlessly… our government shall provide apprenticeships to all the qualified jobless persons in the country with a job guarantee in the government, public or private sector and Rs 1 lakh per year in their bank accounts," the Congress leader said.

Promising a Caste Census after the INDIA bloc comes to office, Rahul Gandhi said that now there are 15 per cent Dalits, 8 per cent tribals, 50 per cent OBCs, 17 per cent minorities, plus 5 per cent of the very poor sections, or more than 90 per cent of the people, but their representation in the government and private sector, media and the top corporates is bare minimum. "Whenever we speak of justice for the poor and the deprived in the country, PM Modi tries to divert the people's attention to other issues… the Constitution is a powerful weapon in the hands of the poor, which the government is trying to destroy. This election is for saving the Constitution and democracy," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress MP was campaigning for the Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA-Congress nominee Balwant B. Wankhade who is contesting the Amravati (SC) constituency, going to the polls on Friday, April 26.