BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday released its manifesto for the forthcoming panchayat elections and promised to end the ‘percentage-commission’ (PC) culture if it wins the polls.
The BJP State president Samir Mohanty said that the panchayat and block offices have become the dens of corruption under the BJD rule and people are frustrated with the ruling party.
“The BJP will end the percentage commission culture in panchayats and blocks where a PMAY housing beneficiary has to pay a commission of Rs 20,000 after allotment of house and Rs 2,000 for assistance under Swachh Bharat scheme,” the manifesto said.
As a large number of eligible households are endlessly waiting for housing assistance under PMAY due to massive corruption in selection of beneficiaries, the saffron party promised to make special arrangements for providing them aid under the Central scheme.
With a major focus on the farming community, the BJP said that it will streamline the paddy procurement process by abolishing the existing online token distribution system and curtail the monopoly of rice millers in the mandis.
Alleging that cooperative societies, especially the primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS), are mismanaged due to interference of the local BJD leaders and a large number of farmers are not getting short term crop loans, the BJP further assured to ensure that all farmers get loans at two per cent rate of interest.
He also lambasted the BJD government for misutilising the Central assistance. “We will act as the custodian of the funds provided by the Centre and ensure that the Central schemes reach the intended beneficiaries, “ he said.
The BJP also promised to create self-help groups for unemployed youths in line with the women SHGs and equal facilities will be provided to them for undertaking micro-economic activities.
Alleging that only five per cent of the WSHGs of the State are empowered with vocational training, the BJP promised to provide skill training on a massive scale to all women groups to make them self-reliant.