Hours before the campaign for the first phase of election in Uttar Pradesh ended on Tuesday, the BJP released its election manifesto called Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra in which the party promised “freebies” like free electricity in the farm sector, a scooty each to college going girl students, and creation of one crore job, including self-employment.
With an eye on the core Hindutva voting bloc, the party also promised to make “love jehad” law more stringent. It promised to bring in a law for 10-year jail and Rs 1 lakh penalty to those found guilty in case of what is called “love jehad”. It also promised the setting up of anti-corruption oganisation units in all 18 divisions and anti-terrorist commando centres in Meerut, Rampur, Azamgarh, Kanpur, and Bahraich in order to maintain law and order in the State.
“We have fulfilled almost 95 per cent of the promises we had made in the last elections in 2017. We are committed to fulfil the promises which we are making today,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while releasing the manifesto here.
The 16-page booklet has promised to make UP “number one” economy in the country and jobs to one member of every family. It promised to double the per capita income, free power for irrigation, strengthening of MSP for wheat and paddy as well as announced that sugarcane dues will be cleared within 14 days.
Shah said Sankalp Patra pays special attention to farmers, crafts persons, workers, women, and the youth. “The BJP manifesto promises two additional LPG cylinders to all the beneficiaries of Ujjwala on the occasion of Holi and Diwali, free scooty to every talented college-going girl. The grant under Kanya Sumangala Yojana has been increased from Rs 15, 000 to Rs 25,000. Besides, the manifesto promises to provide 2 crore tablets or smartphones to students,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the manifesto seeks to bring qualitative change in the life of the 25 crore population of the State.
“In this Government of double engine, every effort was made to give benefits to every farmer, poor, women without discrimination. Along with the manifesto, BJP also launched a new election song named ‘Kar Ke Dikhana Hai’,” he said.
Prioritising farmers’ welfare, the BJP’s Sankalp Patra said that it will continue its loan waiver scheme for farmers for the next five years. The BJP has said it would set up the Sardar Patel Agri-Infrastructure Mission with an investment of Rs 25,000 crore under which cutting and grading units, cold chain chambers, godowns, processing centers among others will be constructed.
The BJP manifesto also states that in the next five years, Mukhyamantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana will be launched at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. Emphasizing the sugarcane industry, the manifesto states that sugar mills will be modernized and upgraded under the Sugarcane Mill Renewal Mission at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.
The party promises to create a fund of Rs 1000 crore to ensure minimum support price to the farmers for all crops like potato, tomato, and onion. Further, Rs 1000 crore will be allotted under the Nand Baba Milk Mission to make the State a leader in milk production. At the same time, 4,000 new crop-specific FPOs, 6 mega food parks will be set up across the State.
In honour of singing legend and Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar, the BJP announced to establish of “Lata Mangeshkar Performing Arts Academy” which will carry forward her legacy and will inspire generations.
Sankalp Patra, which emphasizes the promotion of cultural heritage and tourism, can prove to be effective in highlighting and re-establishing UP’s tourism potential globally. The BJP has announced to build Lok Bhasha Academy in Awadh, Braj, Purvanchal and Bundelkhand, Film City, Lata Mangeshkar Performing Arts Academy, and establishment of a special board for elderly saints and priests.
Promising to escalate the reforms made during the Yogi reign in the health sector, the party announced to fulfil the target of setting up Government medical colleges with state-of-the-art facilities in every district of the State. It has been announced to set up six “Dhanwantri Mega Health Parks” in the State with an investment of about Rs 30,000 crore. These parks will enable the State to become self-reliant by expanding the production of medical facilities like health and surgical instruments and medicines on a large scale.
The manifesto promises bus stops in every village panchayat and 100 per cent village connectivity in all village panchayat, every block one ITI and every district medical college. It also promised a metro in Kashi, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj Bareilly, and Jhansi. It also proposes to set up Ramayan University in Ayodhya.