New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have entered headlong into a contest of one-upmanship in Chhattisgarh by trying to outmatch each other on welfare measures. Against this backdrop, the BJP unveiled its manifesto ‘Modi ki guarantee 2023’ Friday, emphasising paddy procurement — the issue many believe cost it power in the state in 2018.
Addressing a public meeting in Kabirdham last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had promised to hike the procurement price of paddy from Rs 2,640 per quintal to Rs 3,000 per quintal if voters were to pave the way for a second term for the Bhupesh Baghel-led government. He also said the government would procure 20 quintals per acre of paddy.
The BJP has now presented voters with a counter: procurement of 21 quintals per acre of paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal.
Taking a leaf from the book of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP is also promising Rs 12,000 per year to married women as financial aid, besides LPG cylinders at Rs 500 apiece and state-sponsored religious tourism — a scheme for ‘Ram Lalla darshan’ in Ayodhya for the elderly. The party has also promised to make a provision for government agencies to buy tendu leaves from farmers in the state at Rs 5,500 per unit if voted to power, in addition to Rs 10,000 per year as financial aid for landless labourers.
Releasing the party’s manifesto in Raipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP drafted its ‘Sankalp Patra’ after deliberations with lakhs of voters. “In it, we have decided to launch the Krishi Unnati Yojana under which we will buy 21 quintals per acre of paddy for Rs 3,100. Farmers will receive a lump sum payment for this,” he said.
केंद्रीय गृह एवं सहकारिता मंत्री श्री @AmitShah जी द्वारा भारतीय जनता पार्टी छत्तीसगढ़ के घोषणा पत्र का विमोचन…#BJP_Aawat_He
https://t.co/0rhfuEBAVy
— BJP Chhattisgarh (@BJP4CGState) November 3, 2023
Besides the Rs 12,000 for married women under the ‘Mahtari Vandan Scheme’, the BJP has also promised Rs 1.5 lakh for girls from families living below the poverty line. The amount is to be deposited in their bank accounts and beneficiaries will be able to avail of it upon attaining maturity.
The party has also promised to fill one lakh vacant government posts over two years by ensuring transparency in the conduct of state services examinations — a key issue in poll-bound states, including in Chhattisgarh.
It has also promised 50 percent monthly travel allowance for college-goers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and the setting up of a Chhattisgarh Institute of Technology, on the lines of the IITs, in every region of the state.
With an eye on the religious constituency, the BJP has promised to develop five Shakti Peethas in the state, similar to the Char Dham in Uttarakhand.
In the health sector, the party has promised an additional amount of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to be made available to beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The manifesto also says that the BJP will open 500 Jan Aushadhi Kendra across the state, along with medical institutes, similar to AIIMS, in each region.
Further, the party has promised to develop Raipur, Durg and Bhilai on the lines of the National Capital Region (NCR), and to initiate a Chhattisgarh Investment Summit.
Attacking the incumbent Congress government in the state, Amit Shah said at the launch of the manifesto that CM Bhupesh Baghel “has no equal when it comes to spreading false propaganda”.
“In the last five years, the Bhupesh Baghel government proved to be a failure when it came to law and order. He had made more than 300 promises, which were not fulfilled,” alleged Shah.
“Fifteen years of Raman Singh’s tenure helped Chhattisgarh shed the tag of a ‘BIMARU’ state. Now, we want to assure the people here that we will make it a completely developed state in the next five years,” he said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)