Rajasthan polls: BJP pledges wheat procurement at Rs 2,700/qtl

Increasing financial assistance to farmers to Rs 12,000 per year under the PM-Kisan scheme, and procurement of wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal, including bonus above MSP, are among the salient features of the BJP manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly polls which has a clear focus on farmers to garner their votes.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan), which aims to support farmers in meeting their agricultural and other incidental needs, a financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per year is presently transferred to bank accounts of farmers in three equal installment.

The BJP 'sankalp patra' released by party chief J P Nadda in Jaipur also promises to provide LPG cylinder at Rs 450 each to Ujjawala scheme beneficiaries and 2.5 lakh government jobs in five years. The manifesto promises completion of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) in a time bound manner in collaboration with the Centre. The Congress has been demanding national project status to the ERCP which was envisaged by the former BJP government to address irrigation and drinking water problems in a 13 eastern Rajasthan districts.

Nadda said a compensation policy for farmers whose land was auctioned will be brought and noted that land of 19,400 farmers was auctioned. Pledging a slew of schemes for girls and women, he said a 'mahila thana' will be set up in every district and 'mahila desk' in every police station besides constituting an anti-romeo squad in every city.

He also announced a savings bond of Rs 2 lakh on birth of girl child under Lado Protsahan Yojna, skill training to nearly six lakh rural women under Lakhpati Didi scheme, scooty to meritorious girls on clearing class 12 exam, free education from KG to PG to girls of poor families, three Mahila Police Battalions and increase in financial assistance under the PM Matru Vandan scheme from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000

For the youth, the party announced 2.5 lakh government jobs in five years, annual assistance of Rs 12,000 for students of poor families to purchase school bags, books and uniform and setting up of Rajasthan Institute of Technology and Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences in every division.

In the health sector, the party pledged an investment of Rs 40,000 crore through the Bhamashah Health Infrastructure Mission and appointment of 15,000 doctors and 20,000 paramedical staff. The party promised round-the-clock electricity supply in domestic sector, expansion of Jaipur Metro, transparent transfer policy, free ration to poor families under PM Garib Kalyan Yojna for five years, increase in old age pension and pension of Rs 1500 per month for the disabled.

The manifesto that the BJP is committed to make Rajasthan a 350 billion dollar economy. The party also promised to set up the Rajasthan Economic Revival Task Force for the revival of the state economy. "We will make Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Jodhpur and Bikaner smart cities in collaboration with the central government," the document said. For minority welfare, the party announced land allotment for 'Chaturmas' related events of Jain monks and adequate police protection, conservation and development of historical Sikh religious places, CM Sharnarthi Kalyan Yojna for Hindu migrants, colonies for Hindu migrants in Jodhpur whose houses were demolished by the Congress government and subsidised loans to start business, scholarship for school and college students.

For OBC welfare, the party promised distribution of OBC certificates in a time bound manner, collateral free education loan up to Rs 15 lakh and a welfare board to redress problems. Various other announcements for tribal welfare, street hawkers and gig workers, auto drivers, SC and ST welfare, were also made.

Before releasing the manifesto, Nadda attacked the Congress, charging it was known for corruption, crime against women, insult to farmers, paper leaks and scams and said the precious time of Rajasthan has been wasted. Nadda said that if the BJP forms the government in the state, a Special Investigation Team will be formed to probe paper leaks and other alleged scams in the Congress government. Besides a white paper on corruption cases of the Congress government will be released, he said.

Rajasthan goes to polls on November 25 and the results will be declared on December 3.