As a prelude, district-level meetings being held in States

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will launch a nationwide campaign to pressure the Union government to announce a national policy for agriculture, AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia has said.

Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Sisodia said that this campaign will be launched at a farmers conference to be held in New Delhi on November 26. As a prelude, district-level conferences are being held in different States, he said and added that he came here to take part in one such conference in Dharwad.

Mr. Sisodia said that the condition of farmers in the country remained pathetic as the Union government had failed to address them scientifically. Though the Union government has announced some schemes, most of them have remained on paper. As a result, farmers are dying while the dealers are enjoying life. AAP is of the opinion that the farmers plight could not be resolved unless the country has a national policy to empower them. Therefore, the party has decided to launch the nationwide campaign to bring pressure to bear on the Union government and also to sensitise farmers and others regarding the need for such a policy, he added.

Mr. Sisodia claimed that the Delhi Government has led by example by distributing compensation to farmers which was the highest in the country. Though Delhi has limited number of farmers, the compensation amount provided by the government is the highest compared to the relief given by other States, he said.

Mr. Sisodia, who holds the Education portfolio, said that along with the agriculture sector, the education sector needs to be strengthened. The Delhi Government has led by example by spending 25 % of the total budgetary allocation on education. As a result, government-run schools have been empowered by providing necessary infrastructure and trained teachers. The Delhi Government also sends teachers abroad for training, he said. AAP State convenor Pruthvi Reddy said that the party is focussing on strengthening the party base at the grassroots considering the upcoming Assembly elections in the STate. To build the party base, the AAP has set itself upon “Mission 5,000” under which leaders will be identified in 5,000 wards of the local bodies. The party will fight the elections promising to bring about a change in the system, he said.