Aiming to repeat its government in Himachal Pradesh the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on November 6, 2022 released the party’s manifesto ahead of the upcoming Assembly election, promising implementation of Uniform Civil Code in the State and extending commitments surrounding jobs for youth and women welfare.
BJP president J.P. Nadda released the party’s manifesto in Shimla, saying that commitment made in the party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ would go a long way in bringing uniformity in society and empowering farmers-horticulturist, the youth, and the women. The election in the State is scheduled to take place on November 12, 2022.
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Mr. Nadda said Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in the State. “A committee will be set-up surrounding the Uniform Civil Code and based on the committee report it will be implemented,” he said.
Elaborating on the manifesto, he added the BJP will institute a scheme to provide ₹3,000 annually to small farmers, over and above the ₹6,000 given through ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’. Also, it will be ensured that the apple farmers do not pay more than 12% GST rate on apple packaging material.
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He said that eight lakh employment opportunities in a phased manner will be provided. “A start-up scheme with a corpus of ₹900 crores will be created for job creation for the youth. The number of mobile clinics will be doubled in all Assembly constituencies. Also, all type of discrepancies in remuneration of government employees will be removed,” Mr. Nadda added.
Mr. Nadda said BJP will conduct a survey of ‘Wakf’ properties as per the law and set up a Judicial Commission to investigate the illegal usage of such properties.
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Asserting that special focus has been given to women’s welfare, Mr. Nadda said the BJP will provide a bicycle for school-going girls of class 6th to 12th and a scooty (two-wheeler) to the girls pursuing higher education. “Also, three free LPG cylinders to women of poor households will be given, an amount of ₹25,000 to pregnant women for treatment shall be provided, besides a fund with a corpus of ₹500 crores for granting interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs to establish homestays will be created. The women will be provided 33% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions of the state, he said.
Responding to a question surrounding ‘freebies’, Mr. Nadda said “There is a very thin line between empowerment and allurement.. All our commitments in the ‘Sankalp Patra’ are for empowerment — be it the women, the youth, the farmers-horticulturist, employees.. We are against allurement and for empowerment,” he said.
