Key Highlights of BJP’s ‘Sonar Bangla’ Manifesto

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister on Sunday unveiled the party’s manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly election, promising to build a “Sonar Bangla” by providing employment, empowering women, strengthening social security schemes and vowing to clear the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the first cabinet meeting of the new government. Unveiling the “Sonar Bangla Sankalpa Patra” at EZCC in Salt Lake, Shah said the BJP will ensure the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme and the PM-Kisan programme in the state, besides giving at least one job per family.

He further promised a hassle-free Durga Puja if the BJP comes to power in the state, adding that people would not have to go to court for organising the festival. Promising to work towards building a safe Bengal, the BJP leader said his party would ensure an “appeasement-free Bengal” and an infiltration-free state, if voted to power.

“We will bring back the Bengal that made the entire nation proud,” he said. “You have given time to Congress, over 30 years to Communists and ten years to TMC. Give us five years to build a Sonar Bangla,” he said, urging the people to vote for the BJP.

Here are the key highlights of the manifesto:

– Thirty-three per cent reservation for women in state government jobs

– Free primary education for girls

– Free public transport for all women

– Free healthcare for all women

– Balika Alo Yojana —continuous financial assistance to girls and Rs 2 lakh on turning of 18 years

– Implement PMKIsan with increased assistance of Rs 10,000 annually for 75 lakh farmers

– An intervention fund of Rs 5,000 crore to assure farmers’ economic security, besides accidental insurance worth Rs 3 lakh for small farmers and fishermen.

– A Sonar Bangla fund worth Rs 11,000 crore to promote art, literature and other such sectors

– Institute Tagore prize on lines of Nobel prize and Satyajit Ray award on lines of Oscars to recognise global talent

– Implement Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees

– “Strictest border security” to halt infiltration

– New AIIMS in North Bengal, Jungle Mahal and Sunderban regions, besides toilets and clean drinking water for every famil

– A Kolkata Development Fund worth Rs 22,000 crore. Work towards ensure the metropolis becomes a UNESCO Heritage City

– An assistance of Rs 10,000 for every refugee family for five years through direct benefit transfer (DBT)

– Rs 20,000-crore Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Fund for development of schools, and five universities at par with IITs and IIMs

– A ghat on the banks of the Hooghly river for Ganga aarti

(With PTI inputs)