CHANDIGARH MC ELECTIONS: BJP's 'vision document' mixed bag of old and new promises

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 16

The local BJP today released its “vision document-2021”, which has some old and new promises, ahead of the December 24 Municipal Corporation poll.

Old promises such as removing the limits of lal dora, bringing a policy for need-based changes in all residential, commercial and industrial establishments and converting all leasehold property into freehold at reasonable rates have found a mention in the manifesto.

“We have already met the freehold demand regarding residential properties to an extent. However, some residential categories, along with industrial and commercial, are yet to be covered. As far as need-based changes are concerned, some work has already been done and a committee has been formed for full resolution,” city BJP president Arun Sood told Chandigarh Tribune.

The manifesto states that all contract workers will be regularised and city residents will be given preference in jobs. It also promises one lakh jobs for the youth by promoting knowledge-based industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and clean energy. “Besides, we will get the OBC quota implemented in the MC where only the SC and women qouta has been implemented so far,” said the city BJP chief.

The ruling party further promised to provide nearly 4,000 affordable houses under the 2008 UT Employees Housing Scheme. “We have revived the scheme, which was cancelled at the time of the Congress. We will also fix the only pending issue of rates,” said former city BJP president Sanjay Tandon.

“We will bring a policy to get the actual previous rates implemented,” said Sood.

The BJP said no municipal tax would be levied in villages without completion of development projects and ownership rights would be iven to those living in houses of EWS colonies built under the rehabilitation scheme.

The party said the UT would become the first slum-free city of the country as the existing slum-dwellers would be given pucca houses. It also promised to increase the old-age, widow and handicap pension from Rs1,000 to Rs2,000 and the pension of those with over 70 per cent disability to Rs2,500.

Union Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal released the manifesto.

Other promises

• To set up a garbage processing plant with modern technology
• 24X7 water supply
• By 2023, new pipes worth Rs600 crore will be installed in all wards
• CCTVs to be installed on inner roads in city
• New policy for providing better location to street vendors
• Sound-proof community centres with facilities of free Wi-Fi, indoor games and reading rooms
• Insurance cover of Rs5 lakh to the poor under the Ayushman Bharat scheme
• Free sanitary napkin-vending machines and disposal machines to be installed in schools, colleges and public toilets
• Single-window facility to be provided to senior citizens and ex-servicemen for redressal of their problems
• Public toilets for transgenders