2018 Chhattisgarh polls in mind, solar pump worth Rs 5L to be distributed at Rs 12,000

Ahead of the 2018 Chhattisgarh assembly polls, state BJP government has started rolling out popular measures to ensure a fourth time victory in the state poll and as a part of that costly Rs 5 lakh worth solar irrigation pump will now be distributed to farmers for a just Rs 12,000.

“The state government will distribute 50,000 costly solar irrigation pumps to farmers in a highly subsidised price,” Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has told a farmer’s conference in Raipur. 

“Each solar irrigation pump is costing 5 lakh rupees, but that would be provided to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers in a price of only Rs 12,000,” Singh said while unveiling the roadmap for the next 3 years.

“For the other backward class farmers, the price is Rs 18,000 and for the general category, the government has decided to provide that in a subsidised price of Rs 25,000,” he added.

The state government has set the target of distributing 50,000 solar energised irrigation pumps in the next 3 years, Singh said on Monday indicating that the BJP government in the state has already been working on a plan to ensure victory in 2018 assembly election by drafting strategy for each sections of the society.

Dr Raman has already started the election process as voting gap of BJP and Congress have over the years reduced to less than 1 lakh votes.

In the first ever election of the state after its creation, in 2003 Ajit Jogi government was voted out of power as BJP got 39.26 per cent votes where as Congress secured 36.71 per cent and the spoiler was NCP with 7.02 per cent votes. 

In the second assembly election in 2008, BJP secured 40.33 per cent while the Congress 38.63 per cent votes and that gap was further closer to 1.7 per cent or 1,83,557 votes.

However, in 2013 poll, Congress got 40.29 per cent votes and BJP secured 41.04 per cent votes or with an extra 97,574 votes Dr Raman Singh formed the government for the third term consecutively.

In 2013 election, the gap between the ruling and opposition party was a mere 0.75 per cent votes.

Since the voting per cent are sinking for BJP, the ruling party has already started the process to ensure a victory.