Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111961421800.htm

National

BJP: promises galore

Staff Reporter

V. K. Malhotra

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it would help farmers get the market price for their land and in cases where acquisition by the State was absolutely essential it would provide a minimum of Rs.2 crore per acre as compensation to them.

Also, in its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the party promised that ownership rights would be given to all resettlement colonies; all faulty electricity meters would be replaced within six months; the much criticised BRT corridor project in the Capital would be reviewed; the 1984 riot case accused would be punished and preparations for the Commonwealth Games-2010 would be speeded up so that Indian athletes get at least six months to practise and make the most of the home condition advantage.

The manifesto was jointly released by the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan, party general secretaries Arun Jaitley and Vijay Goel, and drafting committee chairman Vijai Kapoor.

Dr. Vardhan while elaborating on the salient features of the manifesto said senior party leader L. K. Advani had moved a Bill in Parliament seeking full Statehood for Delhi, but the Congress had opposed it. He said while Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had organised a march over the issue during NDA rule at the Centre, now when Congress was in power both at the Centre and in Delhi, she had removed the demand from the Congress party’s manifesto.

Prof. Malhotra also demanded full Statehood for Delhi.

“We want the police and land to be with the Delhi Government as that would increase accountability and provide better governance,” he said.

Expressing concern at the increase in crime against women and senior citizens, Prof. Malhotra described Ms. Dikshit’s comment that young journalist Soumya Viswanathan was being “adventurous” as atrocious.

Describing the Congress manifesto as “old wine in new bottle” as the party had only repeated the promises it had been making for the past three elections, Prof. Malhotra charged that the Sheila Government had not fulfilled a single promise and had “betrayed all sections of society”.

On the other hand, he said, the BJP would work to get the zonal, district and colony plans of unauthorised colonies completed so that the “building plans” become open and people are able to make full use of their properties. “All unauthorised colonies would be regularised and provided with all civic amenities,” he added.

Also, he said, a one-time amnesty scheme would be launched to regularise unauthorised constructions in houses and shops and jhuggi-jhonpri residents would be settled through in situ development. Plans would be drawn up to construct one lakh houses for them per year.

For the poor, red cards would be introduced to enable them to buy wheat at Rs.2 per kg and rice at Rs.3 per kg at any store and the Government would pay for the subsidy.