Lucknow: Hours after Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) talked big in its poll manifesto, its principal opponent Samajwadi Party (SP) has replied with more promises.
In his poll manifesto released soon after BJP, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has showered sops, rebates and freebies in a more lucrative manner. Samajwadi poll manifesto has promised to make all farmers in UP debt free by 2025, setting up a microfinance bank for MSME sector, pension of Rs 1500 per month to over 50 lakh people in the state, free 300 units of electricity to every domestic consumer and restoration of old pension scheme for the government employees.
Akhilesh Yadav has announced that if voted to power a separate security force for traders would be formed and single roof clearance system is to be introduced for all industries. All farmers would get free electricity for irrigation and interest-free loan for agriculture besides pension and insurance. All those having two-wheelers in the state would get one litre free petrol per month while the auto owners will get either three-litre fuel or 6 kg CNG. SP has also promised to formulate an urban employment guarantee act on the tunes of MNREGA.
Highlighting the main points of his poll manifesto, SP chief said that if voted to power all the small and marginal farmers would get five bags of urea. Like BJP, he also promised to give two gas cylinders to the entire households below poverty line (BPL) every year. He said that by the year 2025 no farmer in UP would remain with debt. To counter the announcements made regarding women by Congress and BJP, SP chief said that if voted to power 33 per cent reservation would be provided to females in all government jobs. The artisans such as weavers, tailors, cobblers, carpenters and other would be provided financial assistance of Rs 18000 per year.
Regarding jobs, the SP chief promised that vacant 11 lakh government posts in UP would be filled soon. The SP manifesto has promised one crore employment in the next five years. The teachers working in the unaided schools would get stipend of Rs 5000 per month from state government. Free wifi zones would be set up in cities and villages. Addressing the backward community in the poll manifesto, SP chief said that a separate corporation would be set up for fishermen and tradesmen communities and if needed the state government would provide Rs 200-300 crore to these bodies.
Akhilesh Yadav said that Samajwadi pension schemes would be started again and under it, Rs 18000 per year would be given to 50 lakh families. If voted to power Samajwadi canteen and grocery stores would be opened. Poor would get Samajwadi meal for Rs 10 and special helpline is to be started for workers.
Akhilesh Yadav said that Rs 25 lakh financial assistance would be given to families of farmers who were killed during farm movement besides constructing a memorial for them.
