Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its manifesto for the October 21 Haryana Assembly polls with no promises to waive farm debt or job reservations for women, saying it is more realistic and practical than its rival Congress' "populist" manifesto.
The 25-page manifesto titled 'Mhare Sapne Ka Haryana', which the party described 'Sankalp Patra' was released in the presence of BJP Working President JP Nadda, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and senior party leaders here.
Focusing on farmers, labourers, youth and industrialists, the manifesto pledged to give an interest-free crop loan of up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers and announced to complete a target of Rs 5,000 crore interest and penalty waiver on crop loans taken from cooperative banks.
It promised to give a collateral-free loan of up to Rs 3 lakh to people belonging to the Scheduled Castes.
For women empowerment, the BJP promised to provide free education to two girls from families whose total annual income is less than Rs 1.8 lakh.
Khattar claimed the manifesto of the Congress with focus on loan waiver to farmers and job reservations to women was unrealistic as it needed Rs 1,26,000 crore to fulfill the poll promise.
"It is totally unrealistic with no budgetary provisions. Our manifesto needs a budget allocation of Rs 32,000 crore that can be easily meted out through state funds," he told the media.
He said that his government would give benefits to farmers in the form of better prices for their produce.
In the manifesto, there is no promise to waive farm debt but there is a promise to compensate the farmers for damage to the crops due to natural calamities.
Khattar said that the BJP's manifesto is based on the principles of Ram Rajya.
"We had given a transparent administration and zero tolerance towards corruption in our previous manifesto."
The BJP manifesto promises to start pink bus services for girl students keeping in view their safety and set up sanitary napking vending machines at public places. Also, the girls will be given self-defence training to protect themselves.
Nadda told media that the manifesto represented all sections of the society.
The manifesto addresses the host of issues, from farmer's distress to the safety of girls. It also promises to create job opportunities for state residents, he said.
The focus will also be on comprehensive healthcare, said Nadda, adding that 2,000 health and wellness centre will be set up.
He also said that 1,000 sports nurseries will be set up in the state.
If voted to power again, the BJP said it will form a Ministry of Youth Development and Self Employment, apart from imparting skills to 25 lakh youth at an outlay of Rs 500 crore.
For the skilled craftsmen, there will be a provision of Rs 3 lakh loan without guarantee. Also, collection centres would be set up for cow dung and urine and a round-the-clock anti-corruption call centre would be set up for lodging complains against the government employees.
With the promise of loan waiver to farmers and job reservations to women, the Congress in its manifesto had promised 33 per cent job quota for women in the government sector, cash incentives to educated jobless youth apart from farm loan waiver within 24 hours of coming to power.
Besides this, the Congress promised to bring in strong legislation to check the menace of mob lynchings, to drastically cut electricity bills and to counter pollution caused by stubble burning by providing machines to remove it from the roots.
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