In a State run by a woman Chief Minister, the highlight of the BJP’s manifesto, released on Sunday, was 33 per cent reservation for women free education for women up to the post graduate level, children of share-croppers and landless labourers, and a host of sops for farmers.
Women empowerment found prominence as BJP promised free healthcare (including out of pocket expenses and advance treatment costs) and free public transport for women, if voted to power. The Trinamool Congress, too, has highlighted its women empowerment schemes like Kanyashree (free education and cash doles to prevent drop-outs) and Sabuj Sathi ( free bicycles) as major successes. It cashed in on these schemes in rural areas as a major poll plank. The BJP on its part has now expanded scope of the same.
Women are said to account for nearly 49 per cent of the voter base in Bengal. Also promised was the setting up of subsidised canteens (at ₹5 per meal); financial assistance to girls of up to ₹200,000 and a three-fold increase in widow pension to ₹3,000 per month (against the current ₹1,000 per month). Similar schemes have been promised by Trinamool in the manifesto. Widow pension ambit is relatively lower though.
TMC, on its part, targeted the BJP on a sub-nationalist note with the party leader and Rajya Sabha MO Derek O’Brien saying, “A resident of Gujarat with a resident of Madhya Pradesh by his side (reference to Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya), releases a manifesto and then makes a full speech in Hindi to create a
Cash doles
Cash doles were announced that include implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and an additional payout of ₹4,000 per farmer from the State government thereby taking it up to ₹10,000 per annum; a dole of ₹4,000 per annum to landless labourers; free accidental insurance to small, marginal and landless labourers and payment of ₹6,000 per annum to fishermen found prominence in the manifesto.
“I know many of you will ask where funds will come from. But let me tell you, we have made our calculations and this is just about 15 per cent of the State Government’s budget,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while releasing the manifesto.
A 33 per cent increase in remuneration of ASHA workers – primarily women folk who provide door-to-door health services and surveys – has been promised by the BJP, from ₹4,500 to ₹6,000 a month.
Para teachers, who have long been demanding an increase in salaries and have been on strike, will see doubling of their remuneration, while old age pension too has been trebled to ₹3,000 per month.
Interestingly, the BJP has promised to bring unorganised workers, auto drivers and taxi drivers under welfare schemes - a first in Bengal – promising a monthly payout of ₹3,000 (unorganised workers) and an annual maintenance of ₹3,000-50,000 to the vehicle drivers.
Jobs & healthcare
Incidentally, like the TMC, BJP too has promised free books, study materials, bags, cycles and tablet PCs if voted to power.
One clear point, the BJP mentions in its manifesto is financial assistance of upto ₹25,00,000 to start-ups, and setting up of three AIIMS – one each in North Bengal, Jungle Mahal (former Maoist hotbed) and Sunderbans.
The demand to set up more AIIMS has been a long standing one across the state.