Wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg for the poor, electric scooty for girls from the economically weaker section at the time of enrolling in college, and bicycle for those in Classes 9-12 figure in BJP’s manifesto, or “Sankalp Patra”, for the Delhi polls which was released on Friday. The document mentions a slew of welfare schemes targeting various sections of society.
In line with its slogan of “Beti Padhao Beti Bachao”, the party has announced many schemes, including a fixed deposit at the birth of the first two girls in a poor family to ensure they get Rs 2 lakh each at the age of 21 and a corpus for financial assistance to meritorious young women for pursuing higher education.
BJP to run ‘bullet train’ of development:
Though there is no mention of any new subsidy or freebie, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the existing free schemes — electricity up to 200 units, 20,000 litres of water for every household and travel for women in public buses — would continue if the saffron party formed a government in the capital.
Out of power in the city for over 21 years, the party has gone all out in connecting with the concerns of various sections to woo voters ahead of the February 8 elections.
Cleaning of the Yamuna and development of a riverfront, housing for the poor, increase in pension for divyaangs, widows, destitute women and senior citizens, laws to save commercial establishments from sealing, introduction of 10,000 electric buses, opening of 200 new schools and 10 colleges and creation of a Rs10,000-crore corpus for infrastructure development are some of the promises made in the manifesto.
The party has also promised immediate implementation of three flagship schemes of the Centre — Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Kisan Samman Nidhi — which, it claims, had not been allowed to be implemented in the capital by the Aam Aadmi Party government. While Ayushman Bharat provides free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to families below the poverty line, the Centre has promised housing for all by 2022 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The BJP government at the Centre provides Rs 6,000 annually to every farmer in the country.
Launching the “Sankalpa Patra”, Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said the party would run a “bullet train” of development in the city. “We are going to change the fortune and future of Delhi, which cannot be done by giving certain things free. It requires longterm planning,” he said. Union minister and Delhi election incharge Prakash Javadekar and all Delhi MPs were also present at the launch.
The party has promised to provide “clean water” through taps to every household by 2024 in line with the central government’s “Jal Jeevan Mission” and ensure “reliable and quality” power supply by creating a smart electricity grid.
Turning to its attention to women, the party has promised setting up of a roundthe-clock call centre as a “single-point” support system to ensure women’s security, more fast-track courts for speedy redressal of crimes against women, elimination of all dark spots and women home guards and CCTVs at all crowded places.
For working women, BJP has promised “adequate and affordable” accommodation and creches at workplaces and construction sites besides skill training for domestic helps and easy loans and capital and interest subsidy for setting up their first businesses.
Targeting its prime vote bank of traders, the party has promised to take “administrative and legal” steps to address problems being faced by residents due to the sealing drive and provide “relief” through “suitable amendments” in the Master Plan. Converting 10 lakh offices and shops from leasehold to freehold and benefits of accident insurance and monthly pension of up to Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 — both central government schemes — have also been included in the manifesto.
For infrastructure development, a Rs 10,000-crore “Samriddh Delhi Infrastructure Scheme” for construction of roads, flyovers and pedestrian bridges has been announced. Setting up of a special “Colonies Development Board” to provide civic amenities like schools, community centres, hospitals and roads in Delhi’s 1,731 illegal settlements has also been promised.
Gadkari said BJP had received about 1.2 lakh suggestions for it’s vision document from the people during the week-long ’Meri Dilli Mera Sujhav’ initiative. “Several of those suggestions have been included in the Sankalpa Patra,” he said. Meanwhile, in a major blooper, BJP’s 45-page election document carried the name of former Delhi minister Rajkumar Chauhan, who had joined BJP from Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as co-convener of the manifesto committee. Chauhan had quit BJP early this month to join Congress again. He is also among the 40 star campaigners for Congress.
Source: TOI
