UPA govt took several steps to protect farmers' interests, says Congress' Kumari Selja

Chandigarh: The Congress-led UPA dispensation at the Centre took several steps to protect the interests of farmers, including implementing 175 recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, senior party leader Kumari Selja said on Sunday.

She also lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, alleging that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government did not waive a single rupee of farmers' loans in 10 years. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had waived loans worth Rs 72,000 crore, Selja said in a statement.

The statement comes hours before three Union ministers and farm leaders are scheduled to meet in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, are taking part in a "Delhi Chalo" march over their various demands.

Selja, a former Union minister, alleged that BJP leaders are making false statements regarding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

Countering claims that the Congress did not implement its recommendations, Selja said the Swaminathan Commission report contained 201 recommendations, 175 of which were implemented by the UPA government.

"They should know that the Congress government had implemented 175 out of 201 recommendations of the commission," she said.

"In 2014, the BJP -- which came to power promising to provide C2 plus 50 per cent to farmers -- changed its promise upon forming the government at the Centre. Whereas, the Congress had already implemented 175 out of 201 recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission," she said.

Selja said it was the Congress-led UPA government that had reduced the interest rate on agricultural loans from 11 per cent to four per cent.

According to the commission's recommendations, farming was also completely made exempt from taxes.

"The Congress did not impose taxes on agricultural tools, including fertilisers, seeds, medicines, tractors and irrigation. Not only this, exemptions of up to 100 per cent were also given on agricultural resources under various schemes," she said.

Selja -- a Congress general secretary -- said the UPA government under then prime minister Manmohan Singh waived farm loans, benefiting farmers in Haryana by Rs 2,200 crore.

"In 10 years, while the BJP did not waive a single rupee of farmers' loans, the Congress had waived loans worth Rs 72,000 crore," she said.

"Along with this, electricity bills worth Rs 1,600 crore for Haryana farmers were also waived (by the previous Congress government in the state)," she said.

Strict laws were introduced during the Congress-led dispensation to protect farmers from land grab and imprisonment.

"Not a single inch of a farmers' land was allowed to be grabbed during our tenure. Strong laws were made for acquisition to ensure protection for farmers. It was provided that no one could encroach on a farmer's land against his will. However, after coming to power, the BJP weakened this law. That's why farmers are protesting again, demanding implementation of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013," she said.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the protesting farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act - 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

Selja also claimed that the people of the country are fed up with the wrong policies and style of the BJP.

"The result will have to be borne by the BJP government in the upcoming elections," she said.