COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

RJD promises autonomy to CBI

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav today mounted a veiled attack on the Central Bureau of Investigation for being vindictive towards him and pledged total autonomy to the investigation agencies to avert any political misuse if voted to power.

Releasing his party's eight-page election manifesto titled 'Rashtriya Janata Dal's Vision of India in the 21st Century', the former Bihar chief minister made it clear that his party was totally committed to fight corruption. He was equally determined not to allow the issue to be used as an instrument of political vendetta.

In an obvious reference to the CBI, Laloo Yadav regretted that the investigation agencies were being used as a lever to settle political scores and tarnish the image of the leaders whose clout among the people was on a steady rise.

A nationwide debate would be initiated by his party, if voted to power, to build a fool-proof mechanism to end corruption in the society, he said.

Asked whether he was referring to the CBI, Laloo Yadav, an accused in the Rs 9.5 billion fodder scam, said that he was not taking any names.

Laying stress on agriculture and rural development, the RJD president said his party would increase the plan outlay for these sectors. ''We will remove the restriction on processing, movement and trade in foodgrains to ensure better prices for the farmers and substantial increase in the farm profitabilities.''

He said his government would insure the farmers against bad quality inputs like poor seeds and adulterated fertilisers. It would also provide crop insurance to shield them from natural calamities.

He said the RJD would introduce land reforms to limit the size of individual holdings. These would be 10 acres in irrigated, 15 acres in rain-fed and 25 acres in 'user' land. He would also introduce strict urban land ceiling laws.

The RJD would work for a strong decentralised economy, promoting development of labour-intensive industry. The state should play an important role in infrastructure development, removing regional disparities and providing social goods like education and health care.

The RJD, Yadav said, saw education as the key to social empowerment and the party would provide a high standard of uniform education for all to rectify present imbalances.

Primacy would be accorded to Indian systems of medicine like ayurveda, unani and homeopathy.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report