The Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for next Saturday’s Assembly election released on Friday promised that it would recommend to the Union government setting up an office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Mangaluru.
It would also recommend a ban on the Popular Front of India and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity for what the manifesto said, “violently promoting communal hostility”.
A special investigation team would be constituted and fast-track courts would be set up for speedy investigation and prosecution of all unsolved communally-motivated murders, it said.
The BJP said that it would set up a Sri Narayana Guru Welfare Board for the welfare of Billava and Idiga communities, who are in large numbers in the coastal region.
The manifesto assured the voters of completing on a mission mode the tunnel project on the Shiradi Ghat. It also assured of upgrading the runway at the international airport here.
In a detailed note on the fisheries sector, the BJP promised to set aside ₹ 135 crore fund for dredging and upgradation of bays at Bhatkal, Kundapur and Hangarkatte, and Alive Bagilu.
It said that the quantity of subsidised diesel for fishermen would be doubled to 1.80 lakh litres per annum. In addition, fishermen would be provided with 400 litres of kerosene every year at subsidised rate.
Among other assurances for fishermen included allocation of ₹ 20 crore for construction of 100 air-conditioned retail fish outlets, ₹ 40 crore for the construction of houses and setting up community biogas plants in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada.
It has proposed cash incentive for fishermen during the fishing holiday.
Another proposal is disaster relief fund for families of fishermen who die in natural disasters. The BJP said that it would set up three small-scale cashew processing units in Dakshina Kannada and one in Udupi district.
Honnavar would be developed as a dedicated cashew export zone. It would work with the Union government for setting up an ESI hospital for cashewnut farmers and their families.
Referring to the arecanut sector, the BJP said that it would file a petition before the Supreme Court highlighting the health benefits of arecanut to bail out the commodity from the image that it is carcinogenic.
Among the other assurances, included developing “Divya Devalaya” network by providing necessary infrastructure to attract domestic and global tourists.
It would develop “Samudra Package” for tourists to enjoy recreational activities such as speedboat rides, adventure sports and deep-sea diving, the manifesto said.
