Coimbatore: Grasping the pulse of the current issues that are haunting the community, the manifesto by AMMK gives farmers a reason to rejoice since it addresses issues including loan waiver, linking of rivers, opposing developing projects that threaten farmers, comprehensive crop insurance schemes and stopping the import of hybrid crops.
The manifesto also promises to mark the Delta region as an Agriculture Zone to protect the farming districts in the Cauvery River Basin
Coimbatore: Grasping the pulse of the current issues that are haunting the community, the manifesto by AMMK gives farmers a reason to rejoice since it addresses issues including loan waiver, linking of rivers, opposing developing projects that threaten farmers, comprehensive crop insurance schemes and stopping the import of hybrid crops.
In the manifesto that AMMK released, the party has its major focus on wooing the votes of the farming community, which is certainly unhappy with both the State and Centre, evident from the various protests they have carried out in the past few years.
Promising ease of business for farmers, AMMK manifesto has assured to remove all obstacles from their path, including flagship development projects like Hydro-Carbon, Methane, Nutrino, Power line Towers and road expansions which are reportedly harmful for farmers and the environment as a whole.
“In order to curb every project that harms the farming community, the districts of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Cuddalore in the Delta region and the Cauvery river basin region will be announced as the Agriculture Zone,” stated the manifesto.
AMMK's manifesto also promises change in GST to help the farmers, including the waiver of loans from national and cooperative banks to ease their businesses.
In an attempt to reduce the stress of farmers from travelling to Chennai, the manifesto claims that an office of the National Agriculture Insurance Services would be set up in Thanjavur to help the Delta farmers. It also promises to remove mediators. On fixing the base price for sugarcane and paddy, the manifesto has assured to fix base prices for pulses.
Explaining in detail about the linking of Southern rivers like Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery, long pending projects like the linking of Thamirabarani – Karumeniyaru and Nabiyaru, Cauvery – Vaigai and Gundaru and Pandiyaru Punnambala schemes will also be completed. Assuring a National Disaster Rejuvenation Centre during Natural Disasters and having electric cables underground, the manifesto also assures of launching a satellite into the orb to get exclusive details of storms, water resource and mineral resource of Tamil Nadu.
The Manifesto has also focused on the education sector, where AMMK has promised to waive all education loans. A dedicated Students Welfare Commission is to be set up in Chennai with branches in all the Districts to counsel students. Free WiFi and Tablet computers are to be offered for all college students.
Like the DMK, the AMMK has also assured to cancel the NEET examinations and carry out medical entrances only by marks obtained in Class 12. It also assures to fulfill the requests of Jacto Jio and the teaching community, who have been fighting to revise the pay scale and posting permanent staff.
It had also touched upon the revisions made by the Government in Cable Television and LPG cylinders, wherein, it had assured that 100 channels would be given free of cost and Rs.100 would be offered by the State to buy subsidised LPG. Increasing the existing old age fund scheme from Rs.1000 to Rs.2000, it has offered Rs.4000 per month to pensioners of other non-government departments, including farming, weaving, fisheries and industries. Loans to the tune of Rs.2 lakh is to be offered for the youth in villages.
The AMMK manifesto also assures to stress on appointing 80 per cent Tamil people in all Government postings in the State and has assured to open subsidy canteens in Government buildings with more than 100 staff. Private employees are also to get Rs.2 lakh loans for weddings. Students from Class 6 will be given free medical checkups twice a year and women students will be provided free sanitary napkins up to post-graduation level in college.
Freebies are offered for fishermen and the weaving community to get free electricity including a dedicated Handloom College in Tirupur to be named after Tirupur Kumaran. In an interesting addition, self help groups are to be opened for unemployed youth in villages. Special Amma Village Banks are to be opened in all 385 Panchayat Unions in the State to take care of financial assistance for the self help groups.
The youngsters from these groups are to be offered jobs at Amma Motels that will be opened on highways soon. It also stresses on passing the 33 per cent reservation bill in the Parliament and fight to regain the Kachatheevu. The release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be assured.
Policemen are to be given counselling to avoid suicides at workplace and strong laws are to be enforced for crimes against women. Talking about the minorities, the manifesto promised to request the implementation of Cachar and Ranganath Commissions to help the Muslim communities. The Wakf Board will also recover their lands, assured the manifesto.
Dalits who had converted to Christianity will benefit from the schemes they had been receiving before conversion, says the AMMK manifesto. It also focuses on the industrial sector and offers to open up all micro, mini and small scale industries that were closed, after being affected by demonstration and GST.
Proper measures are also to be taken to strengthen the ease of business in the South. In addition, metro rail is to be introduced in major cities like Coimbatore and Madurai and no permission will be given for liquor factories in Tamil Nadu.