BANGALORE: At an event in Bangalore on Monday, May first, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party unveiled its manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, making a number of promises, the most notable of which was the annual distribution of three free cooking gas cylinders to all BPL (Below Poverty Level) families.
The free-of-cost cylinders will be provided in 3 installments of one cylinder each in the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali.
In the presence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor, Lingayat veteran BS Yediyurappa, the manifesto or vision document was delivered by the BJP's national president JP Nadda.
The BJP also pledged to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Karnataka based on the recommendations of a high-level committee that will be established for the purpose, in a statement similar to the ones made in the lead-up to the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Uttarakhand last year.
The ruling party pledged to implement the "Poshana" (nutrition) programme, which will provide every BPL home with 5 kg of Shri Anna-siri dhanya (millets) through monthly ration packages, and made a total of 16 commitments in its vision statement.
The manifesto read, "We will launch the Visvesvaraya Vidya Yojane, under which the state government will collaborate with illustrious people and organisations for comprehensive government school improvement to world-class standards.
In order to foster cooperation between SMEs and ITIs and create a vibrant ecosystem of education and employment for young, brilliant people, the BJP also pledged to introduce the "Samanvaya" plan. By offering financial incentives for students to take coaching for IAS/KAS, banking, and government employment, it added, "We will provide career support for aspirational youth."
To demonstrate its dedication to the healthcare industry, the BJP pledged to develop the state's public healthcare infrastructure through "Mission Swasthya Karnataka" by creating one Namma clinic with diagnostic tools in each municipal corporation ward. The party said in the vision paper, "In addition, we will also provide a free annual master health check-up for senior citizens."
The manifesto promised to "develop Bangalore for the next generation by designating it as the 'State Capital Region' and implementing a comprehensive, technology-led city development programme focused on Ease of Life, cohesive transportation networks, and enabling ecosystems for making Bangalore a Global Hub of Digital Innovation."
The BJP pledged to provide charging stations, assist 1,000 startups, convert BMTC buses into entirely electric buses, and build a "EV City" on the outskirts of Bangalore in an effort to turn Karnataka into a centre for electric vehicles.
"We will establish a Rs30,000 crore K-Agri Fund to establish micro-cold storage facilities, agro processing units in all GPs, undertake APMC modernization and digitalization, accelerate farm mechanisation, establish 5 new Agro-Industry clusters and 3 new Food Processing Parks, supported by a 1,000 strong FPO ecosystem," the statement continued.
The party claimed it seeks to make Karnataka the most popular tourism destination in India by allocating Rs 1,500 crore to build the Kalyana Circuit, Banavasi Circuit, Parashurama Circuit, Kaveri Circuit, and Ganagapura Corridor.
Adopting a comprehensive plan that includes logistics, industrial clusters, connectivity, and export facilities and creating 10 lakh manufacturing employment "beyond Bangalore" stated, "We will broaden the scope of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme."
The Karnataka Residents' Welfare Consultative Committee would be established in order to amend the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, and modernise the grievance redressal process, according to the manifesto. This will enhance the "ease of living" for apartment dwellers in Bangalore .
The party pledged to start the "Sarvarigu Suru Yojane," through which the Revenue Department would give the state's beneficiaries who were houseless or without a place to live 10 lakh housing plots.
The "Onake Obavva Samajika Nyaya Nidhi" programme, which will offer a matching deposit of up to Rs 10,000 on 5-year fixed deposits made under the scheme by women from SC and ST households, will be introduced, it was noted.
Elections for the Karnataka Assembly will take place on May 10 and the results will be tallied on May 13.
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