The BJP on Tuesday promised to make Maharashtra free of drought and said it will provide one crore jobs, homes to homeless families, compulsory health tests for those turning 30 and internet connectivity in every home among others in its manifesto for the October 21 assembly polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s national working president JP Nadda released manifesto at an auditorium in Bandra just five days ahead of the assembly polls. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s state unit president Chandrakant Patil, and Mumbai unit chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present at the release.
“A list of 16 broad issues gives the gist of the entire manifesto. It is a very well-studied and serious document,” JP Nadda said.
“It is an all-inclusive and progressive manifesto,” Fadnavis said.
The BJP has promised a drought-free Maharashtra in the next five years if it returns to power and said it will work towards it by connecting 11 dams under the Maratha water grid project and diverting the waters of the Krishna River to drought-hit areas.
The ruling party’s poll document also promised solar power for more than 12 hours during the day time in all villages to run farm machinery.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also promised to connect one crore families to self-help groups (SHGs) with the focus on creating employment for women and safe drinking water for all households as part of his party’s manifesto.
Screening for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac diseases, eye check-ups and blood pressure at the age of 30 for all citizens was another area of focus in the manifesto.
More seats have also been promised in all educational and employment institutes across the state for the open category citizens, in light of reservations announced in the state that have eaten into open quota.
“The open category will get same number of seats as it had before 2018. We will examine and expand seats, which will benefit not only the open category but also increase the number of seats in the reservation quotas,” Fadnavis said.
It promises home to every homeless family by 2022, with a safe drinking water connection and internet connectivity in every household, and 30,000 kilometres of new roads across Maharashtra.
Fadnavis also announced the creation of an agency to maintain roads, which will be separate and independent from agencies that make them, such as the Public Works Department (PWD), or the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), to reduce their burden.
The manifesto said the party will create a fund of Rs 5 lakh crore for the construction of basic amenities and infrastructure, such as irrigation facilities, roads, urban infrastructure, metros, railways, airports.
For those affected by such projects, it promised timely rehabilitation and social and financial security for labourers. The manifesto promised government aid for rehabilitating families of the deceased Indian Army and police officers.
The chief minister also tackled questions on why the Shiv Sena and his BJP presented separate manifestos despite being in an alliance.
“We always present separate manifestos. We even did so during the Lok Sabha elections. We are two separate parties. We have come together to form the government. The BJP respects this and will fulfil Shiv Sena’s manifesto as well along with the BJP’s,” Fadnavis said.
The BJP with its smaller allies is contesting 164 seats of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra while the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is fighting 124. The Shiv Sena, which had pressed for at least 135 seats, settled for lesser assembly seats, and two seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the BJP quota. It is also contesting its lowest seats in the Maharashtra election.
The chief minister also addressed the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank crisis.
“The Reserve Bank of India is the licensing body but the state is not shirking away from responsibility. The Economic Offences wing is taking action. The culprits have been arrested, their assets seized, which will be auctioned to raise money.”
“For account holders, I have promised that after the election code of conduct is dropped on October 21, I will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request him to let the state do everything in its power to release the account holders money,” he said.