Alternative Priorities for a Pro-Peasant Agrarian Policy
Determined implementation of a comprehensive program of radical land reforms to eliminate the vestiges of landlordism and ensure land to the tiller
Scrapping of all anti-farmer agreements signed in the name of WTO, re-imposition of quantitative restrictions and effective regulation of trade in agricultural produce and allied agro-based products
Scrapping of new agricultural policy to save Indian agriculture from the design of corporatisation and the clutches of multinational capital and its collaborator, Indian big capital
Revamping and extension of the public distribution system, extensive implementation of food for work program and guaranteed procurement of food grains and other crops at remunerative prices to stop distress sale and save the peasantry from the nexus of private traders, millers and corrupt officials
Stepping up public investment, changing the present priorities of subsidising kulaks and refocusing it to the benefit of small and marginal farmers. Tax on the farm incomes of big farmers.
Cheap and adequate credit on demand to small and marginal farmers; against arbitrary loan waivers to the benefit of kulaks; earmarking 50% or more of cooperative credit to dalit and OBC small and marginal farmers; democratisation of cooperative credit societies; curbing diversion of cheap agricultural credit to non-agricultural business activities by kulaks; abolition of usurious non-institutional credit by moneylenders and merchants; and easy consumption credit for agricultural labourers and poor peasants.
Crop insurance to all crops without premium for all small and marginal farmers and not only to those who take institutional credit.
No privatisation of irrigation works and their maintenance and distribution; no water rates for small and marginal farmers; more investment in areas of rain-fed, small-scale farming; adequate irrigation loans to all small and marginal farmers and energisation of their pump-sets in areas of borewell irrigation; group irrigation schemes; and curbing kulak domination over water resources and establishing water control and water management rights of the broad peasantry.
Extensive flood control measures to arrest soil erosion, compensation to the peasants affected by soil erosion and rehabilitation of the rural poor displaced by it.
No privatisation of state electricity boards; and regular, adequate and concessional/free power supply to small and marginal farmers.
Free seeds, fertiliser and pesticides to small and marginal farmers and subsidised power tillers.