JAIPUR: Taking a cue from the Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan made a determined effort to woo farmers and youngsters in its election manifesto released on Tuesday.
In a bid to keep the perceived anti-incumbency wave against the Vasundhara Raje government, the BJP has promised an unemployment dole for youngsters and a loan waiver for farmers. The Congress had earlier announced R3,500 as wages to unemployed youngsters and a waiver of farmer loans within 10 days of coming to power.
Chief Minister Raje presented the election manifesto, called the ‘Gaurav Sankalp Patra’, in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Speaking to the media after the event, she said her government had fulfilled 90 per cent of the promises made in the manifesto of 2013.
To appease the unemployed youngsters, the government has promised an allowance of R5,000 per month to those educated and over 21 years of age. “In the Last five years, we have given 2.25 lakh government jobs to people every year. (If elected again) In addition to giving 30 thousand government jobs every year in the government sector, 50 lakh people will be given employment opportunities through self-employment and private sector jobs in five years,” she added.
The saffron party announced that the income of farmers will be doubled and the cost of procurement at Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) will be made more transparent to ensure a price that is one-and-a-half-times the cost of crops.
Among other promises was a R250 crore rural start-up fund, government loans of R1 lakh crore to be distributed over five years and a loan relief commission in every division. The party also announced that a project worth R37,000 crore to build a canal on the eastern side, which will connect 13 districts with the Yamuna river, will be expedited.
“We have not issued a manifesto, we have issued a roadmap. When there is economic progress in the country, it is natural, that every city, every village shows signs. In such a scenario, the government also receives more revenue,” said Jaitley at the event.
Meanwhile, state Congress president Sachin Pilot, reacting to the manifesto, said, “in Rajasthan, farmers are killing themselves, young people are unemployed and women are being harassed. People are asking questions from BJP but Vasundhara Raje is not answering them. Their election manifesto is a cruel joke on people of the state.”