CPI-M reaches out to farmers in its manifesto for Rajasthan polls

Jaipur: Terming the ruling Congress and major Opposition BJP as two sides of the same coin, the state CPI-M on Thursday said it would address all issues of farmers including regularisation of farm labourer wages, if its candidates win the December one state Assembly elections.

Releasing its manifesto, "Appeal Document", for the state polls, senior CPI-M leaders Ravindra Shukla and Sumita Chopra said the party will try to get Dr Swaminathan Commission`s report implemented for farmers with a new loan waiver scheme, agriculture loan at a 4 per cent interest rate, and maximum support price on their food grain prices. CPI-M will also formulate a legal act for farm labourers whose population has increased from 10.60 percent to 16.50 percent in recent years in Rajasthan, Shukla said, adding that these labourers needed a social and financial security for their livelihood. The party will work for the unorganised labourers and get them a minimum monthly wages of Rs 10,000, ban on contractual jobs, and introduction of pension schemes, Shukla said. CPI-M, having three sitting MLAs, has fielded 37 candidates in Sikar, Sriganganagar, Hanumagarh,Churu, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Tonk, Jaipur, Kota, Alwar, and Nagaur districts. BJP was always a party of fundamentalists indulging in communal hatred, and now it was trying to repeat the Gujarat model in Rajasthan, which should not be allowed, Shukla alleged. Hitting out at Congress, he said Rajasthan under the rule of Ashok Gehlot-led government had witnessed several incidents of communal violence including killing of ten people in firing at Gopalgarh, which was one the worst in the state. Hence, both major political parties, BJP and Congress, were two sides of the same coin, he alleged. CPI-M, which always have had representation in Rajasthan, has looked after the welfare of farmers, and ensured that farm labourers and common people get justice, Chopra said.