Delhi CM Kejriwal says AAP working on ‘special plan’ for Punjab to make agriculture profitable

Kejriwal assured that his government would not only provide compensation to farmers who were affected by natural causes but also enhance it in proportion to the production cost.

Delhi chief minister and national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said he would turn agriculture profitable if his party would be voted to power in the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab, scheduled for early next year. He also said that no farmer would have to die by suicide if his party was voted to power.

Arvind Kejriwal said that he would unveil a “special plan” next month, on which his party is currently working, for the development of agriculture in the state.(Screenshot from video shared by @AAPPunjab on Twitter)

Blaming the state government, he said, “Punjab has all required infrastructure to develop agri-based industry but due to ill-intentions of the present or past government, these could not deliver,” news agency PTI reported.

Kejriwal assured that his government would not only provide compensation to farmers who were affected by natural causes but also enhance it in proportion to the production cost. 

He also vowed to pay the compensation for crop failure by April 30, if his party wins the assembly election. “By April 30, crop loss compensation will be credited to the account of each affected farmer and labourer,” he said during an interaction with the farmers in the Mansa district in Punjab.

As part of his announcements, Kejriwal also said that he would unveil a “special plan” next month, on which his party is currently working on, for the development of agriculture in the state.

“Stubble would be used for power, cardboard and agro-based industries and DAP fertiliser factories, which would also provide employment to the youth of Punjab. Agriculture and all related occupations will be made profitable,” he added.

The AAP chief is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound state and met with state party leaders namely, AAP Punjab chief Bhagwant Mann, leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, party MLAs along with Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha. He met with the farmers in Mansa district and interacted with them and heard their problems along with the AAP leaders.

Meanwhile, the party is yet to unveil its chief minister candidate for the upcoming assembly polls. However, Kejriwal has earlier said that the announcement would be made in due time. The party had already announced that it would contest from all the 117 seats in the election. In the 2017 assembly polls, the AAP finished in a distant second place with 20 seats after the Congress, which had won 77 seats.