Big farm sops likely in Budget

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 18

As Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce loan waiver for farmers and newly anointed Chief Ministers of his party went on a waiver spree, the BJP called it all a “publicity stunt for vote bank politics”.

But it seems the Modi government is looking for ways to counter the Congress’ populist move and its after-effects. Expectations now are that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may announce some big sops or budgetary provision for the agrarian community around or in the interim Budget/Vote on Account before the Lok Sabha elections.

Interestingly, while BJP leaders here have derided Congress CMs on the issue, the party’s Odisha unit has promised to waive farm loans in the state, if it’s voted to power in the 2019 Assembly elections. The announcement was made by BJP state president Basant Panda at a press conference today.

Though Finance Minister Jaitley continues to hold on his earlier stance that a loan waiver is not a viable or permanent solution to the problem, losses in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana have put pressure on the BJP.

The customary Vote on Account, or the interim Budget, in February will be the last chance for the BJP-led government to woo back rural/agriculture communities, say sources.