'Gram Swaraj': Housing, water, cleanliness, digital and road connectivity form base of BJP's promise to rural India and farmers in 'Sankalp Patra' 2019 election manifesto

'Sankalp Patra'- BJP's manifesto that has been released on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi states his mission of 'Doubling farmers' income' and the various measures by which it promises to achieve this goal by 2022.

It says, "At the very beginning of our current term, Prime Minister Modi embarked on a mission to double farmers' income. We will make all efforts to achieve this goal by 2022."

Right from 'Pradan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana' to assuring financial support to farmers owing upto 2 hectares, to the establishment of 'Gram Swaraj' to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's vision of India, the party's manifesto contains a number of points

Here are some of the BJP's action points for farmers and rural India:

1. Welfare of farmers - Expanding the reach of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to all, investment of Rs. 25/- lakh crore and assuring quality seeds among others. 
2. Development of Agri-allied sectors - Oilseeds mission to acquire self-sufficiency in oil seeds and other agri-products, efficient storage and transport mechanism and promote chemical-free organic farming, etc.
3. Expanding Irrigation in Mission mode - Talks about the completion of 31 irrigation projects as well as to bring one crore hectares agricultural lands under micro-irrigation.
4. Cooperatives - For better market linkages, focus on Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and ensure better price return to the farmers, among other points.
5. Convergence of Agriculture and Technology - Extensive use of technology to facilitate the knowledge of market prices and benefits to the farmers and digitisation of land records, etc. 
6. Animal Husbandry - 'Kamdhenu Aayog': to conserve indigenous species of cattle, coverage of immunisation and eradication of Foot and Mouth disease and Brucellosis, etc.
7. Fisheries - Blue Revolution - The party aims to launch 'Matsya Sampada Yojana' to allocate Rs. 10,000 crores and ensure storage and marketing tools to traditional fishermen, also bring them under the ambit of welfare programmes and social security schemes. 

The manifesto has dedicated an entire page titled 'On the Path of Gram Swaraj'  which is one of the principal pillars of Mahatma Gandhi's vision of India. It states, "As India reaches the defining milestone of the 75th year of its independence in 2022, we pledge to adopt the ideals of Gram Swaraj as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi."

Along those lines, it has made promises in these focus areas - Saashray (Housing), Sujal (Drinking Water), Suchna se Sashaktikaran (Digital connectivity through Bharatnet) and Sadak se Samriddhi (Road connectivity). 

BJP also tweeted: 

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