BHOPAL, NOV 12: The BJP has promised to the people of Madhya Pradesh a transparent and responsive administration, pure drinking water to each citizen of the state, pucca roads to connect each village, 50,000 new jobs every year and ownership rights to tribals who had been cultivating forest land since 1980 or earlier.The BJP had made a similar promise to tribals in its 1990 assembly election manifesto. It had also said it would strive towards getting the right to work included as a fundamental right, ensure jobs to the unemployed in the State or arrange for an `unemployment allowance'.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vikram Verma who briefed mediapersons on the salient features of this year's manifesto, mumbled a vague reply when asked if he as Chief Minister would be able to deliver what the then chief minister Sunderlal Patwa had failed to do during the 1990-92 BJP regime. Verma is a strong contender for chief ministership if the BJP wins the November 25 elections.
The manifesto was releasedby State BJP president Nand Kumar Sai in the presence of top State party leaders. National general secretary Narendra Modi was also present.
Some concepts the BJP has obviously borrowed from the Congress party. If the latter is implementing a Rajiv Awas Yojana for slum dwellers, the BJP has promised to carry it on, with some modifications, in the name of ``Atal Awas Yojana'. The Congress had promised in its 1993 manifesto to link villages having a population of 500 or more with roads. While the party is now silent on this issue, the BJP has included it in its manifesto with a slight variation. It has promised to ``compulsarily'' connect all villages having a population of 1,000 or more with roads and also provide link roads to the smaller villages.
The major promises made by the BJP are:
Interest-free loan of up to Rs 5,000 to farmers having up to ten acres of land for ``agricultural work''.
Relief in arrears of irrigation cess.
Free electricity to farmers using up to 5 hp enginesfor irrigation as well as free one-point connection to poorer sections (started by the Digvijay Singh Government) to continue.
Complete ban on cow slaughter.
Separation of executive and judiciary in the cooperatives sector.
Establishment of a ``clean and honest'' Panchayati raj in the State.
Provision of mobile dispensaries in sufficient numbers in the rural and tribal areas and filling up all the vacancies of doctors, compounders, nurses, wardboys and other staff in all the government hospitals.
Free education to girls up to graduation level and also free education to all children of 6 to 14 years of age.
Repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act.
A supplementary manifesto for Chhattisgarh promises all-round development of the region.Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Printer-friendly page