Highlighting issues like women’s safety, full statehood to Delhi, compulsory education, curbing corruption and unemployment and working towards taming inflation, cleaning the Yamuna, turning Delhi into a tourism and trade hub and right to water, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday released its manifesto along with a 70-point action plan. The manifesto was a documented version of the Delhi Dialogues that the party has been conducting over the past three months where senior leaders of the party had round table discussions with residents, experts, NGOs and bureaucrats before coming out with a blueprint on important issues affecting the citizens of Delhi.
The party’s plans also reflected some of the issues which the party spoke about in the last election as well, like the immediate 50 per cent cut in power tariff. However, most of the promises dealt with the development of the State and enhancing security. Free WiFi across the city, installation of 10-15 lakh CCTV cameras for security, making water a legal right and bringing down VAT significantly were some of them.
While releasing the manifesto, party chief Arvind Kejriwal promised that electricity tariff will be slashed by 50 per cent immediately and a thorough audit of the private power distribution companies will be carried out based on which rates will be revised.“We want to make Delhi a truly global city and ensure inclusive growth for all sections,” Kejriwal said adding that the manifesto is as holy to the party as the Gita, Bible, Quran and Guru Granth Sahib. “We do what we say and every single word in this manifesto is holy for us,” he added.
The manifesto also assured to build two lakh public toilets across Delhi, set up 20 new colleges, regulate fees of private school, add 30,000 more beds in Delhi hospitals and create eight lakh new jobs in the next five years if it comes to power. Among other things in the manifesto, the party guaranteed to push for Delhi’s statehood and in order to ensure women security, the party promised to install 10-15 lakh CCTV cameras all over the city along with ensuring a security guard in every bus. It also promises the setting up of fast track courts.
“AAP will ensure up to 20 kilolitres of free water to every household per month and the scheme will be extended to group-housing societies. The mandatory annual 10 per cent hike in water tariff will be abolished. We want a Delhi where everyone will be proud of calling himself or herself its resident. Where every class grows equally, irrespective of caste or religion,” added Kejriwal who called free Wi-Fi a “necessity”.
The party also resolved to legislate the Jan lokpal Bill to ensure time-bound investigation in matters of corruption. legislating the Swaraj Bill is also on the party’s agenda with an aim to “devolve” powers directly to the people.