Income for all families to student credit card: Mamata's 10 promises for Bengal
The TMC has promised, in its election manifesto, five lakh jobs in the next five years
Promising an income scheme for all families, a student credit card and the constitution of a task force to examine the inclusion of several communities under the OBC category, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday unveiled the "development-oriented" manifesto of the Trinamool Congress for the upcoming assembly polls in the state.
According to the TMC supremo, her government has worked "110%" in the past ten years and reduced poverty in the state by 40 per cent. In its election manifesto today, the TMC promised five lakh jobs in the next five years.
The ruling party announced a host of new schemes in its election manifesto today — promising to ensure a minimum basic income for every family in Bengal and increase the annual financial aid to farmers.
Students have been promised a 'student credit card', while precise targets have been set in terms of providing electricity, roads, and water at affordable rates.
Here are ten promises from the Trinamool Congress election manifesto, at a glance:
1. Economy: Five lakh new jobs per year to be created to halve the present unemployment rate.
2. Social justice: A new scheme to ensure monthly basic income support to female heads of 1.6 households in West Bengal. While a monthly amount of ₹500 ( ₹6,000 per year) will go to General Category families, SC/ST communities will receive ₹1,000 per month ( ₹12,000 per year) from the government.
A Special Task Force will be constituted, the chief minister promised, to examine and propose OBC status to all the communities which are not recognised as OBCs like Mahishya, Tili, Tamul and Sahas.
3. Youth: Students in West Bengal will be eligible for a new scheme — 'student credit cards' with a credit limit up to ₹10 lakh at an interest rate of 4%.
4. 'Food for all': Free doorstep delivery of monthly ration to be provided to 1.5 crore households as part of a new facility under the 'Khadya Sathi' scheme.
5. Agriculture: 68 lakh small and marginal farmers to be provided ₹10,000 per acre every year, under the Krishak Bandhu scheme.
6. Industries: ₹5 lakh crore of new investment to be attracted in the next five years. Moreover, the TMC promises an additional 10 lakh Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) every year and 2,000 new big industrial units in the next five years.
7. Health: Spending to be doubled from 0.83 per cent to 1.5 per cent of the state GDP. Medical college-cum-Super Speciality Hospitals to be constructed in all 23 district headquarters of the state
8. Education: Spending to be increased from 2.7 per cent to 4 per cent of the state GDP. Each block to have at least one Model Residential School
9. Housing: Five lakh additional low-cost houses in urban areas, and 25 lakh such houses in rural areas, to be built under the 'Banglar Bari' and the 'Bangla Awas Yojana' schemes respectively.
10. Electricity, roads, and water: Additional 47 lakh families to be provided tap drinking water, increasing the 24x7 electricity to be provided at affordable rates to every household, and all rural families to get access to all-weather roads, efficient sewage system, and piped drinking water.
Elections to the 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
