As the Delhi Assembly elections approach, a shower of new freebies continues to pour down on the people of the national Capital with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday, promising a slew of welfare schemes, including free education for needy students from ‘KG to PG’ in government institutions, a one-time assistance of Rs 15,000 for UPSC aspirants, and an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh, along with a Rs five lakh accident cover for domestic helps and auto-taxi drivers, as part of the second phase of its ‘Sankalp Patra.’”
Former Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur presented the manifesto which has eight poll promises including ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption. He said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to probe all ‘irregularities and scams’ of the AAP government if the party comes to power in Delhi. “As soon as the BJP government is formed, we will form an SIT to investigate the Mohalla Clinic scam, classroom scam, DTC bus scam, Delhi Jal Board scam,” Thakur said.
The manifesto includes a number of measures focusing on youth including a one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 and reimbursement of fees and travel expenses twice for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and state civil services examinations.
The party also assured that its government in Delhi would launch ‘Dr BR Ambedkar Stipend Yojna’ to provide Rs 1,000 monthly aid to Scheduled Caste (SC) students at polytechnic and skill centres in the national capital if voted to power.
In a bid to counter AAP’s promise to provide insurance to auto-drivers, who have traditionally been a voter base of the ruling party, the BJP also promised to form welfare boards for domestic workers and auto-taxi drivers once they form the government.
The senior BJP leader added, “Besides, the boards will provide Rs 10 lakh of insurance and Rs 5 lakh of accident cover and offer scholarships to the children of domestic workers and auto-taxi drivers.” He also promised six months’ paid maternity leave for the female domestic workers.
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme for street vendors, the number of beneficiaries will be doubled, he said, citing the Sankalp Patra-2. Thakur alleged that the AAP government had failed to implement the Jal Jeevan Mission in the national capital, reiterating the BJP’s commitment to improve infrastructure and welfare if voted to power. “Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water comes from taps even at 17,000 feet in the mountains but the AAP-da (AAP) government did not implement it in Delhi,” he claimed.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described the BJP’s election manifesto as “dangerous for the country”. The AAP convener alleged that the BJP plans to shut free education in government schools and dismantle free health services including the mohalla clinics if voted to power.
The first part of the BJP’s manifesto for the Delhi polls, Sankalp Patra-1, was released by its president JP Nadda last week. The party has already promised Rs 2,500 per month to Delhi women under the ‘Mahila Samriddhi Yojna’ and assured that all public welfare schemes of the outgoing AAP government will continue in the future.