The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Haryana unit released its election manifesto on Sunday, 13 October, ahead of Assembly polls in the state, that are scheduled for 21 October.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, along with party national working president JP Nadda, released the manifesto named “म्हारे सपनों का हरियाणा” (Haryana of my dreams). The party said this was a “commitment paper” that represented all sections of society.
The manifesto stressed on two key points - doubling the income of farmers and empowering the youth of the state.
It promised to give collateral free loan of up to Rs 3 lakh to people belonging to the scheduled caste, if voted to power again and pledged to give interest free crop loan of up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers.
What Does The Manifesto Promise?
The manifesto said the party will make a legal provision to ensure farmers don't have to mortgage more than 1.25 times land of the loan amount.
Also, youths will be given loans without guarantee for higher education, the manifesto said, if the party returns to power.
The party also promised to provide skill training with an outlay of Rs 500 crore to 25 lakh youths.
There will be old age pension of Rs 3,000, Haryana will be made tuberculosis free and farmers' income will be doubled by 2022, as per the manifesto.
The focus will also be on comprehensive healthcare, said Nadda, adding that 2,000 health and wellness centre will be set up.
The BJP pledged it will ensure free education in government educational institutes up to post-graduate level for two girls per family having income less than Rs 1.80 lakh per annum or land holdings up to five acres.
It also promised to make women and children anaemia-free in the next five years.
Among other women-centric initiatives, it promised a ‘Pink bus’ service for women as per need, sanitary napkin-vending machines at public places in villages and cities, self-defence training for school girls, fast-track courts to be set up to hear crime against women, Sushma Stree award to be started for women working for women empowerment.
About other poll promises, Nadda said the focus will also be on comprehensive healthcare, adding that 2,000 health and wellness centres will be set up.
To make Haryana tuberculosis-free, TB Free State Mission is to be started as well as free bus travel for cancer patients and their companions.
The party is committed to bring SYL waters to Haryana, said Khattar.
The BJP promised a task force to clean Yamuna, Ghaggar and other rivers. It also said it will try to make Haryana the first state in the country to be free of single-use plastic.
Youth Development and Self Employment and 'Antyodaya' Ministries and a Department to attract foreign investment will be set up.
MSMEs will be facilitated to secure loan up to Rs 10 lakh in just an hour and a promise to bring a legislation to ban entry of humans inside sewers to clean them.
No Pending OROP Cases: JP Nadda
Bharatiya Janata Party's national working president J P Nadda released the manifesto in presence of Khattar and other union and state ministers, including Narendra Singh Tomar.
Nadda claimed that there are no pending One Rank One Pension (OROP) cases and 22 lakh cases have been addressed.
“Modi ji said in Rewari that we will fulfill the demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP). I can say with authority, Rs 12,000 crore have been disbursed for OROP, 22 lakhs cases have been addressed. There is no pending case of OROP.”JP Nadda
Oppn Using ‘Freebies’ to Woo Voters
During the unveiling of the 25-page manifesto in Hindi, Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar said while the opposition was using freebies too woo voters ahead of the 21 October polls, his party focussed on "realism" and things that are doable.
The Congress had released its manifesto for the Haryana elections on Friday, 11 October, promising farm loan waiver, unemployment allowance for graduates and post-graduates among others.
“Voters are mature and wise. They know about their promises, they know there are limited resources from where the money is to come,” Khattar told reporters after releasing the BJP poll manifesto.
“Helping those sections of society who need it are to be helped, but doling freebies for votes, this is not a healthy trend,” he said, targeting the opposition.
He also said that while opposition parties believed in promising freebies, the BJP focussed on "realism" and things that are doable. The Congress was only raising a loan waiver rant, he said.
Khattar also hit out at Congress, who in their poll manifesto promised to do away with the minimum qualification criteria for panchayats if voted to power, saying this shows their regressive mindset.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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