Four poll-bound states announce a slew of measures to woo farming community

Many measures are short-term ones to only garner votes, say critics

Four big states heading for legislative assembly elections in a few months have all announced a slew of measures to woo the farming community. 

Crop loan waivers, bonuses on procurement and direct fund transfers for dryland agriculture are among the measures announced by Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and in Congress-ruled Karnataka, over recent weeks.

Critics say many of the measures are half-hearted and meant to garner votes, not addressing the real issue. The experience also shows that actual implementation is often an unsatisfactory story. 

Loan waivers, for instance. The conditions attached ensures many growers don’t get