PATNA: Strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Friday charted out plans for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections due in October-November this year. He launched a five-point agenda to transform Bihar if the Jan Suraaj Party is voted to power.
"Five important schemes will be implemented in Bihar if the Jan Suraaj Party forms the next government after the assembly polls. The schemes are aimed at making Bihar one of the 10 leading states in the country. The new government will focus on improving education standards, stop migration, give respectable pensions to elderly people and give economic power to women and farmers of the state," he said.
Talking about the new government's initiative, Kishor said that first they would try to improve the education standards in schools so that the students belonging to economically weaker sections get proper education. If this does not succeed, then the government will consider paying the fees of students after they are enrolled in private schools for better education, he said.
The Jan Suraaj Party founder said the new government's top priority will be curbing migration from the state. "Youths will get job opportunities in their home state. The government will promote industry and trade so that youths get more employment," Kishor said, adding that this will enable them to earn a monthly salary between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.
He revealed that at present the state government was providing a pension of Rs 400 to elderly people. When the Jan Suraaj Party government comes to power, their monthly pension will be increased to Rs 2000, he said. The new pension scheme will come into effect from December 2025, he clarified.
Similarly, rural employment schemes like MNREGA will be promoted and linked to farming to help farmers, he said. Under the scheme, farmers will be given free labourers for farming, he added. Women will be provided loans from banks on government guarantee for self employment, said Kishor. While loans are provided to women under the JEEVIKA scheme at the highest rate, they will get loans from the banks at a rate of only 4 per cent per annum, he added.
"All these schemes will come into effect soon after the formation of the Jan Suraaj Party government," Kishor asserted.
A day earlier, Kishor said if the party decided to field him from Raghopur in the assembly election, he would not hesitate to fight against the rival candidate. Leader of opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav represents the Raghopur seat in the state assembly.
He has already announced that the Jan Suraaj Party will field candidates in all the 243 seats in the assembly election.