BJP promises farmers' pension scheme if voted to power

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), if elected to power, would introduce a pension scheme for farmers, reduce the interest rate on farm loans and bring back POTA to reinforce the fight against terrorism, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said here today.

"If NDA comes to power, within 100 days farmers' pension scheme will be introduced, 33 per cent reservation for women will be brought in, POTA will be brought back and terrorist Afzal Guru will be hanged," he said.

Inaugurating the election convention of A N Radhakrishnan, the BJP candidate in Ernakulam seat, Naidu said the NDA would reduce the farmers' interest rate to four per cent and introduce crop insurance, besides a pension scheme.

A 'revolutionary scheme' under which Rs 18,000 would be deposited in the name of every girl child born in a family, would also be introduced. The amount would mature to Rs one lakh by the time she turns 21, to be used for her future expenses, Naidu said.

Dismissing the Third Front as a "non starter", he said it had no agreement on a leader, agenda, programme and seat sharing. Its leaders, during a recent meeting, had agreed only one thing and that was to "disagree on all issues", he said.

"While UPA and the third front are struggling to find a leader, the BJP and its allies were the first to declare that our leader is L K Advani, the modern Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the iron man of India," he said.