Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday released the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Shah said the saffron party has decided to call their manifesto as "Sankalp Patra". "It is not just a manifesto but a resolution letter for West Bengal by the country's largest party," he said.
"We have always given the Sankalp Patra an important place in the scheme of things. Since BJP came to power, manifestos have become an important feature because BJP has enforced the following of vision documents. Sankalp Patra is our sankalp on how to frame Sonar Bangla," Shah said while unveiling the manifesto.
Meanwhile, BJP's election manifesto consists of a slew of promises in order to woo the voters.
Here are the highlights from BJP's Sankalp Patra:
1. 33% reservation for women in state government jobs.
2. Rs 18,000 would be transferred to 75 lakh farmers' bank accounts without any cut under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
3. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented and refugees who have been staying here for 70 years will be given citizenship. Each refugee family will get Rs 10,000 per year for 5 years.
4. Free education to women from KG to PG.
5. Rs 6,000 to fishermen every year.
6. Three new AIIMS hospitals will be built in North Bengal, Jangalmahal and Sundarban so that locals don't have to travel to Kolkata to avail healthcare facilities.
7. Will start Common Eligibility Test for all state government jobs to keep a check on corruption.
8. Free transport for women in public transport.
9. Will ensure strictest border security and stop infiltration.
10. Will allow festivals to be celebrated without any restrictions.
11. Will implement the 7th Pay Commission.
12. For every landless farmer, the BJP will provide Rs 4000 yearly.
13. Employment to at least one person per family.
14. Toilet & clean drinking water to every family.
15. Under CMO, an anti-corruption helpline will be started.
16. Tagore Prize at par with Nobel Prize and Satyajit Ray Int'l Awards at par with Oscars will be started to bring back Bengal's cultural richness.
17. A Sonar Bangla fund worth Rs 11,000 crore which will promote art, literature and other such sectors.
18. Under 'Balika Alo', we will provide financial support to Dalits/ adivasis/ tribals and economical weak girl students.
19. Widow pension will be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
20. 9 women police battalion and 3 women police reserve battalion will be started to safeguard women's security.
21. Free education to backward classes till graduation level.
22. A Rs 5,000 crore intervention fund will be made to assure farmers' economic security.
23. Accidental insurance worth Rs 3 lakh for small farmers and fishermen from state's treasury.
24. Bengal 'milk revolution' will be started with Rs 1,000 special fund and 5 mega milk processing units will be formed.
25. Will increased irrigated land by 50% in five years.
26. Will ensure modernization of boats of fishermen.
27. A mulberry silk research centre will be started in Murshidabad.
28. Kadambani Ganguly Health Infrastructure Fund worth Rs 10,000 crore will be started.
29. SHA workers' basic pay is Rs 4,500, which will be increased to Rs 6,000.
30. By 2025, seats in Nursing and medical colleges including post-graduate will be doubled.
31. One Nation, One Health ID card will be started.
32. 10,000 start-ups will be supported with subsidized rooms.
33. 5 Universities at par with IITs and IIMs will be started.
34. Rs 20,000 crore Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Fund for infrastructure of schools.
35. For educated youth, at every block, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose BPOs will be started.
36. Rs 2,000 crore Gostho Bihari Pal fund for development of sports.
37. A specific taskforce for coal, sand, water tanker mafia.
38. Will organize the Kolkata International Film Festival and support Tollywood directors to take part in International film festivals.
39. Will form a new tourism policy with a fund worth Rs 1,000 crore.
40. To transform Kolkata into an international city, the BJP will make a Kolkata Development Fund worth Rs 22,000 crore.
41. 10 multistorey parking facilities will also be started. To ensure Kolkata becomes a UNESCO Heritage City, the BJP will invest Rs 500 crore.
