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The Bhartiya Janta Party today released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls with the pledge of 'Ek Bharat - Shresth Bharat'. The party said its focus will be on economic growth, employment, e-governance, boosting tourism and simplification of tax regime among other things. Here are some of the top highlights:
1) The party promises to break vicious cycle of high inflation and high interest rates. Plans to check inflation by setting up a price stabilisation fund, unbundling the Food Corporation of India, disseminating real-time data to farmers and evolving a single ‘National Agriculture Market’.
2) Ram Mandir: BJP says will explore all possibilities within the framework of constitution for construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
3) Kashmir: Manifesto says party will discuss article 370 with all stakeholders, committed to its abrogation
4) Foreign direct investment: FDI to be allowed in all sectors needed for job and asset creation and infrastructure, barring in multi-brand retail.
5) Tax reform: Plans to adopt goods and services tax (GST), rationalise and simplify the tax regime and provide tax incentives for investments in R&D.
6) Urbanisation: BJP promises to build 100 new cities enabled with the latest in technology and infrastructure. The approach to urban development will be based on integrated habitat development – building on concepts like twin cities and satellite towns.
7) Health: Promises to establish AIIMS like institute in every state, provide access and better quality services at a lower cost.
8) Education: Public spending on education to be raised to 6% of GDP, with a focus on skill development and employability.
9) Tourism: Plans 50 tourist centres around themes like heritage, cultural, coastal etc
10) Infrastructure: Will expedite work on the freight corridors and attendant industrial corridors, national highway construction, connecting all villages through all-weather roads, port and airport development, setting up of gas grids, national optical-fibre network and modernising railways. A low-cost housing programme is also planned.
11) Centre-state relations: BJP to evolve a model of national development driven by states, to grant fiscal autonomy to the states.
12) Will set up seperate fast track courts for specified commerical laws
13) Plans to set up task force to bring back black money
14) Will review labour laws that are outdated
15) Land acquisition: BJP says will adopt a ‘National Land Use Policy', which would look at the scientific acquisition of non-cultivable land and its development.
