Punjab polls: Domicile quota, better MSP, better sports infrastructure on NDA manifesto

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerjee
Jalandhar, February 12

Reservation for the locally domiciled youth in both private and public sector jobs, better infrastructure in the state, and better minimum support price featured large on the National Democratic Alliance’s manifesto that Union Minister Hardeep Puri unveiled on Saturday.

Bharatiya Janata Party, Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Akali breakaway Sanyukt Akali Dal are fighting the election together. Punjab is scheduled to vote in the third phase of elections on February 20.

Unveiling the manifesto, which Puri and the NDA called ‘The Vision Document’, Puri said that the government’s focus would be to get industrial investments into Punjab, close down illegal mining operations, and fight illegal drug trade in the state.

The Industry has wrapped up in Punjab,” Puri said in his speech. “Sand mafia and land mafia wreaking havoc in Punjab. Synthetic drug manufacturing on large scale in cities. Capt tried to curb it. But in cities, where does it come from?”

“The vision document answers it all,” he said.

Among NDA’s promises are 50 per cent reservation for local youth in private jobs and 75 per cent reservation for government jobs.

The NDA also promised a massive infrastructure push to help revive Punjab's economy: it promised an infrastructure development fund of Rs 1 lakh crore to be spent over a period of five years.

NDA’s promises

Infrastructure

—Infra projects worth 1 lakh crore will be given to Punjab

—300 units of free electricity

— Guru Arjun Dev mission for free electricity and water to smaller sections

— Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Bathinda to be developed as metro cities

—Green belts to be developed

—State roads to be laid

—Inter-state and intercity buses to be increased by 400 to 500

—Flights from Amritsar and Mohali to US, UK and Australia

Industries

—Rs 100 crore for the handloom industry

— Industrial clusters to be tax-free

—World-class industry hub in Kandi Belt and Mohali

—One-time settlement offer for pending assessments

—White paper for special relief coronavirus package

Employment generation

—Reservation in jobs for locally domiciled youth. 75 per cent in government jobs and 50 per cent in the private sector

—Rs 4000 monthly unemployment allowance for graduates

—Skill development centres at block levels

Agriculture

—Rs 5,000 crore commitment for MSP and crop diversification

Sports

—Impetus to sports. Sports facilities to be upgraded at educational institutions. Pools and turfs will be upgraded

—SAI centres in Doaba and Majha

—Sports university in the state to be named after the legendary Milkha Singh

—Local-level committees for female athletes

—Jalandhar to be made sports capital of India

—A new international station in Jalandhar to be named after Hockey legend Udham S Singh Kular

—Free sports kits

—World-class facilities for grooming hockey players

— Cash awards for sportspeople. Rs 6 crore for Olympic gold medallist, Rs

1.5 crore for commonwealth medallist; Rs 21,000 for state-level games

Health

—Arogya centres, medical clinics in village and wards

—PGI satellites centre in Doaba and Majha

—Medical and nursing college in every LS constituency

—Free cancer treatment in select hospitals

—Arrears for Covid warriors

—Filling up vacant seats for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff

—250 additional ambulance fleets

—Shitala Mata Health Infrastructure mission will be launched

—Community Health Centres developed

—New app for medical from the comfort of their home

—50 bus fleet for early-stage cardiac cancer disorders

—Identifying clusters of cancer and health problems

—Nurses, Safai workers to be regularised

—Saksham Yuva scheme to give 250-hour work for youth

Infrastructure

— Delhi to Amritsar-Katra Expressway

Law and order

—Taskforce for drugs ferrying

—Electric fencing, drone to be strengthened

—Commission for militancy-related grievances

—5 lakh compensation for terror victims

—Taskforce for cross border terror and arms smuggling

—Fitness centres for cops

—Skill centres for kids in drugs

—Leaders contesting elections, whether panchayat or MP, will be dope tested

Education and women

—Skill-based education for students

—ROs, specially-abled women washrooms

—Sanitary pad sending machines

—3 state universities as per international parameters

—2 new Sainik schools in Punjab

—Skill development university

—One government college in every tehsil with industry and professional courses

—New law: Right to Skill Training Act

 —Vocational training for boys and girls

—Free-coaching for SC/ST OBC Economically Weaker Students

—Recruiting retired teachers

—Credit of Rs 5 lakh for higher education

—Anganwari centres to be upgraded. Rs 10,000 pay for anganwari workers, Rs 6,000 for their helpers

—Rs 1.5 lakh work of retirement benefits for Asha workers

—Special emphasis on 35 per cent reservation for women in government and contractual jobs

—Fast track courts for domestic violence cases

—Special law for abandoned NRI brides

—Childcare leave of 2 years for contractual women workers

—Strict enforcement of law in foeticide and PNDT cases

—Women run businesses to get aid.  No collateral needed for bank loans up to Rs 10 lakh.

For SC/ST, backward classes

—Pending dues of Rs 50,000 to be pardoned

—Free hostel facilities for graduate, postgraduate students

—50 per cent subsidy on two-wheelers for university students

—Aid for startups

—Anusuchit Jati Vikas Board to be set up

—EWS Housing project

—Guru Kirpa canteen for schools where food to be available at Rs 5 to eligible blue card holders

—Effective implementation of Post-matric scholarship scheme

—New EWS taskforce

Government employees

—7th Pay Commission to be implemented

—  Employees to be paid their full salaries

— DC rate labourers and safai karmcharis to be regularised

—Economically weaker sections, SC, BC sections to be aided through schemes

Developing Punjab’s culture

—Punjabi Virsa Sambhal project

—Financial help for maintenance and revival of religious places

—Phulkati, punjabi jutti, woideorks, toys professions will be encouraged

—A new Punjab Culture University proposed for artistes from the state

— Health insurance scheme ‘Sehat Beema Yojna’ for musicians and poets

—New Punjabi bhasha commission proposed

—Engineering and medical courses in Punjabi

—Punjabi Mahautsav for Punjab film and kusicn industry; special awards for them

— E-library for Punjabi literature

—Navi film Neeti 2022

—A new proposed Punjab film city

—Proceedings in Punjab in Haryana High Court and all courts in the state in Punjab

Small businesses

— Property tax of small businesses to be pardoned

 —Subsidised loans

—Vapari durghatna and beema yojnas (insurance schemes for calamities)

—Strengthening labour welfare board

Labourers and daily wagers

—DC rate workers to regularised

— Labourers to get benefits for labourers pensions

—Mobile schools for their children

—Punjab street vendor policies and city level vending committees

Miscellaneous

—Vacant ex-servicemen posts will be filled

—Salary for the Home Guard to be raised to Rs 20,000 a month

—Numberdaar Maan Vhatta to be increased to 3,000

—Special facilities for persons with disabilities

—Scholarships to go up from 400 to 500

—Transgendered people to be included in backward categories and special effort to be made to stop crimes against them

#BJP #capt amarinder singh #NDA #punjab lok congress