E-Paper
Dehradun civic polls manifesto: AAP, UKD stick to local issues; BJP’s focus on state
Political parties have released manifesto for elections to Dehradun municipal corporation. While the ruling-BJP has listed many state-based issues, the AAP and UKD have focused on issues specific to Dehradun.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for elections to Dehradun municipal corporation listed state-based issues, manifestos of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) have focused more on ground realities of the city.
The promises made in BJP’s manifesto for Dehradun seem disconnected from city-specific issues. BJP has promised to supply cooking gas through gas pipelines to all houses of the city. However, the project has been approved by the Centre and will be implemented on a state level.
The manifesto also states that beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be given gas cylinders of five kg. This scheme is also centrally-operated.
The party has also listed providing houses to homeless people under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana, a scheme operated by the Centre with help from the state government. The manifesto also assures health benefits under the Ayushman scheme. However, the municipal body does not have any role to play in its implementation.
“We have a government at the Centre and at the state. Once the BJP wins civic polls, our three-tier system will help the people of the city a lot. There is no dearth of funds as well. Instead of the 35 crore rupees that was allocated earlier, we have more than 100 crores sanctioned now. All of this will be used in the development of civic amentities,” state BJP president Ajay Bhatt said.
On the other hand, manifestos of parties like AAP and UKD have raised city-specific issues. AAP’s manifesto states that municipal schools of the city will be developed on the Delhi model to upgrade it to modern methods of education and to ensure their proper functioning.
AAP has also promised to make permanent arrangements for hawkers and to concretise their registration process. The party has also assured that it will regularize the contractual and sanitation workers under the corporation and to increase their minimum wages and bring them at par with those given by the Delhi government.
The manifesto also promises to develop night shelters equipped with facilities, like those operational in the national capital. The party has also promised to open dispensaries on the Mohalla Clinic model of Delhi government.
“Delhi is a model for us. It is the basis for us to showcase our activities and what the party can do. Though a municipal corporation’ resources are very limited in comparison to that of a state government’s, but within that limited power we will do whatever is possible,” state in-charge of AAP Rakesh Sinha said.
“Dehradun municipal corporation will serve as a trailer to what AAP government can do in the assembly elections of 2022,” he added.
The UKD has given special focus to the issue of house tax. It has promised to reduce the house tax to half of the present rate. “Race Course is one of the most posh residential areas of the city. Right next to it is a slum called Nayi Basti. There is a huge difference in circle rates of both the areas yet residents of Nayi Basti are required to pay the same rate of house tax as that paid by Race Course. This is extremely unfair,” said Dehradun president of UKD Sanjay Chhetri.
UKD has also promised to revive the dispensaries that used to function as a part of the corporation. The treatment and medicines at these dispensaries will be free of cost, UKD’s manifesto says.
The party has also promised to build public toilets near all markets, bus stops and busy city squares.
