Haryana polls: BJP releases manifesto
Making cow slaughter an election issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced that if voted to power in Haryana, it would make the crime as punishable as murder.
Making cow slaughter an election issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced that if voted to power in Haryana, it would make the crime as punishable as murder.
“The punishment for cow slaughter will be the same as that for murdering a human being,” said state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma, while releasing the party manifesto.
A number of cases of cow slaughter are being reported from Mewat district, which has Muslim majority. At present, the maximum punishment for the crime is five years with fine which may extend up to Rs 5,000. If it is equated with murder, even the minimum punishment will be life term.
The party has also promised a milk revolution, development of grazing lands with government grants, increase in strength of veterinary doctors and setting up of a world-class cow research centre.
Rural, agri development
The party has promised 24-hour power in villages; setting up child delivery centres for each village with a population of 5,000; ensuring that agriculture land is not sold to corporate houses; changing the present ‘corrupt’ land acquisition policy; and passing on 50% of the profit on crop prices to farmers.
Road network
The national and state highways will be four-laned, all kutcha roads will be metalled and an advisory committee will be set up for the development and improvement of the road network.
Health
The state liquor policy will be reviewed keeping in view people’s health. There will be 25 rebate for patients in private hospitals which have been constructed on discounted plots; free medicines for people earning up to Rs 2 lakh per year; and cards will be issued to monitor malnutrition in boys, girls, women and senior citizens.
Education
Primary education will be made of world standards; government schools and colleges will be brought on a par with private ones; two universities will be made world-class; and two medical colleges on the lines of Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in the state.
For girl students of rural areas, a special free bus service will be started at the district level, besides free travel for girls of schools, colleges and universities.
Haryana Premier League
On the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the party has promised to launch the Haryana Premier League for traditional sports; stadia with all facilities at the block level; and increase in strength of sports teachers in colleges and universities.
Benefits for traders
Allowing the construction of second floors in Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) markets; quality marketing centre to be set up; re-constitution of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation to benefit businessmen; business promotion board to be set up; and inspector raj to be abolished.
Govt employees
Doubling of education allowances of government employees’ children; contractual employment to be reviewed; district-level board to be set up for employment of ex-servicemen; and pay anomalies will be removed.
Social justice
Nomads of the state will be permanently settled; Pal Gadariya and Samkash castes will be included in the SC category; loans of Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh will be provided to SCs at 4%; on the lines of the Gujarat government policy, two-room flats will be provided to those who have annual earning up to Rs 2 lakh; and safai karamcharis’ pay will be enhanced to Rs 15,000 per month.
Laptops for students, free pilgrimage for senior citizens
* The party has promised freebies such as laptops for students of classes 10 and 12. Even if the laptops are limited to government school students, whose number is 5.83 lakh this year, the bill will reach Rs 874.5 crore, with each laptop worth Rs 15,000
* Graduate and post-graduate unemployed youths will get Rs 9,000 monthly allowance on working part-time for 100 hours in a month, while Class-12 passouts will get Rs 6,000 monthly
* Free pilgrimage for senior citizens along with an attendant
* Old-age pension will be doubled to Rs 2,000 per month. This will put a burden of Rs 3,120 crore annually. The Congress has promised Rs 1,500, which will put a burden of Rs 2,340 crore annually
* Former sarpanches and councillors will get allowances
Cong, BJP on same page
* Both parties have promised that state govt employees will get pay on the Punjab scale
* Both have promised Rs 1 per kg of foodgrains which is being provided under the food security act
* Interest-free loans to small farmers
* Development of warehouses and cold storage for farmers
* Completion of the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal
* Starting mining activities
* Starting elections in colleges and universities
* Regularisation of guest teachers
* University for Panchkula/Ambala
* Cong has promised 50% reservation for state residents in the industry, while BJP has offered 25% reservation