Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav released the party's 88-page manifesto for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Tuesday, promising to make all farmers debt-free by 2025.
The SP has coined the manifesto as 'Samajwadi Vachan Patra' with a tag line 'satya vachan, atoot vaada' (word of honour, unbroken promise).
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav said, “I remember that when the SP had released its manifesto in 2012 and then when we formed the government, we held a meeting of all departments related to various promises and fulfilled those promises. With ‘satya vachan, atoot vaada’, we are going to people with this document as the party manifesto for 2022.”
The SP chief said, “In the next four years, by 2025, all farmers will be made 'debt free' if my party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh. A ‘karj-mukti’ law will be made that will benefit most poor farmers. Our manifesto has promised minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, besides ensuring payment for sugarcane farmers in 15 days. We will form a corpus for this if required. All farmers will get free power for irrigation, interest-free loan, insurance and pension arrangements will be made."
Akhilesh further said that an urban employment guarantee law would be enacted on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The former chief minister said that there would be 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, including the UP Police.
The SP manifesto also promises free education for girls from primary class till post-graduation. Also, a ‘Kanya Vidhya Dhan’ scheme will be launched again under which girls clearing their class 12 exam will be provided with a one-time amount of Rs 36,000. It also pledges to provide a laptop to all students clearing their class 12 exams.
The SP chief further said, “’Samajwadi Pension’ will be re-launched, under which elderly people, needy women and families below poverty line (BPL) would be provided Rs 18,000 every year. This will benefit nearly one crore families."
Further, the manifesto says that samajwadi canteens and 'kirana' (groceries) stores will be established where poor labourers, masons and destitute will get ration and other essentials on concessional rates.
“These canteens will provide ‘Samajwadi Thali’ for Rs 10. The aim of this scheme is to end the hunger problem in the state. A helpline number for migrant labourers of the state -- ‘1890 Mazdoor Power Line’ -- will also be launched,” he said.
Akhilesh also said that a compensation of Rs 25 lakh would be given to the kin of farmers who lost their lives during farmers’ protests and a farmers' memorial would also be set up in the state.
In a unique announcement, the SP manifesto also promises one litre free petrol to all two-wheeler holders in the state every month.
Earlier in Agra on Sunday, the Samajwadi Party president had promised to set up a university named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Bateshwar, whose ancestral village Bateshwar is in Agra district.
Akhilesh also promised to upgrade the Bateshwar Fair to international standard and further improve the condition of ghats and temples there.
He targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party for announcing a university after Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow, which he claimed had not been implemented till date.