Virtually stealing the thunder from the Opposition Congress, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday announced the BJP’s election manifesto for the upcoming state Assembly polls, which addressed the concerns of the entire cross-section of society.
Singh-- called ‘Chaurbaba’ (riceman) by the local tribal population-- cocked a snook at the Congress, which had vowed free rice supply to the indigent families on Monday, saying that the BJP would provide 35kg rice to 42 lakh families at the rate of `1 per kg since the “people of Chhattisgarh have self-respect and they would not like to have free rice”.
While the Congress manifesto focused on Bastar and Naxalism, Singh underscored the need for infrastructure development. Also, he pointed out that there had been a 35 per cent decline in Maoist violence in the Naxal stronghold of Bastar in the last three years, with the guerrillas weeded out from the Surguja region.
Conforming to his image as an efficient administrator, Singh doled out promises to all sections of the society -- students, women, farm labourers, farmers, senior citizens and unemployed youth. Significantly, this attention to minute detail was missing from the Congress manifesto.
The undergraduate students would get laptops and tablets on the day they are granted admission. Last year, a similar scheme was launched for the final year engineering and medical students. And unemployed youth are to be provided loans at the rate of three per cent interest to enable them to establish start-up ventures, according to the CM.
In the case of the farmers, the manifesto promises a bonus of `300 per quintal for the paddy procured from them. The bonus would be in addition to the support price to be announced by the Centre. It was also claimed that the state government would procure 81 lakh metric tonnes of rice from the farmers this year.
Also among the BJP’s list of promises is the launch of the proposed ‘Noni Surkasha Yojana’ programme under which `5000 would be credited in the name of the newborn girls and after they attain 18 years of age, a sum of `one lakh would be handed over to them.
For the homeless , Singh has promised to build one lakh houses every year in the state. And interest free loans of `2 lakh would be given to each of the state’s 2.5 lakh self-help groups(SHG). Besides, the BJP has vowed to enhance the insurance cover provided by the ‘Smart Card’ to `50,000 from the present `30,000.
The manifesto’s other highlights, include metro and mono rail projects for the state capital, besides the setting up of a Backward Classes Development Corporation, which is apparently intended to woo the OBC voters. And the state’s 1500 mw surplus power generation as well as the 10 per cent annual growth rate clocked by the power sector too found a mention in the CM’s speech.
According to the CM, the promises included in the manifesto would cost the exchequer a whopping`4,500 crore annually.
Singh also accused the Congress of “having copied our (the BJP) manifesto for the 2008 Assembly elections”. However, the Congress in-charge for Chhattisgarh, B K Hari Prasad said it was actually the other way round.
Rich and Poor
Congress candidate from Jagdalpur, Samu Kashyap, who will be contesting the election for the first time, is one of the ‘poorest’ Congress candidates in the Chhattisgarh election fray. Kashyap, who was handpicked by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, has total assets worth `13 lakh.
As per the affidavit filed with the Election Commission, Kashyap has about `1.40 lakh in cash and gold of value of `2.40 lakh. He also owns a motorcycle and an auto whose combined value is `2.90 lakh.
An agricultural piece of land owned by him is valued at `5 lakh.
Kashyap will be contesting against BJP’s Santosh Bafna, who is one of the top seven MLAs when it comes to increase in assets in the last 5 years.
Bafna’s present total declared asset value is `2.16 crore, which was `89 lakh in 2008. However, no one can match sitting Congress MLA T S Singhdeo when it comes to the total value of the asset. Singhdeo, who comes from the Sarguja royal family has declared assets worth a staggering `560 crore and is the richest among all the candidates contesting the Chhattisgarh election.
His declared assets in the last election was `187 crore, which has now increased by more than three times. A major part of his assets is land. Singhdeo’s father had also served as the chief secretary of the undivided Madhya Pradesh.
In comparison, Bhisham Lal Urvasha, an independent candidate from Khujji constituency has declared assets worth a modest `4,000.
Among BJP candidates, Satish Kumar Latiya who is contesting from Bhanupratappur has declared lowest assets worth `10.43 lakh while Deepak Kumar Baij of Congress who is fighting from Chitrakot constituency has the lowest declared assets of `10.53 lakh among the Congress candidates.
The value of the assets of Chief Minister Raman Singh have seen a quantum increase with the total value going from `1.04 crore in 2008 to `5.61 crore in 2013.
Singh’s gain in the last 5 years, apart from the appreciation in property, has been shown on the account of increase in the possession of gold and silver. He and his wife bought a total of 192 tola of gold and 10 kg silver in the last 5 years. The bank balance in his account also increased from `6 lakh to `22 lakh.
The wife of slain Congress leader Uday Mudaliyar, who will be contesting against Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon has declared assets worth `2.67 crore.