Optimistic of retaining power for fourth term in a row, BJD today promised pucca houses for all, agriculture loans at 1 per cent, besides a separate Food Security Act for Odisha.
"Perhaps for the first time a political party guarantees to fulfil primary infrastructure needs in areas of roads, drinking water, electrification, irrigation, agriculture and education both rural and urban areas of the state," BJD president and three-time Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while releasing his party's election manifesto.
Reading out the manifesto, the BJD supremo said, "Every household in the state should have a pucca house. In a phased manner all kutcha houses will be provided assistance for conversion to pucca houses."
Shelter security would also include homestead land and households in rural areas to be considered for housing loan, he said, adding if government land was not available, private land would be purchased to homesteadless persons.
There would be a Shelter Security Mission under him which will monitor this initiative, Patnaik said.
The BJD promised to reduce the rate of interest further to 1 per cent for agriculture loans in the next one year.
Already providing rice at Rs 1 a kg, BJD supremo said, "The state will have its own revolutionary Food Security Act inspite of a similar enactment by the Centre."
Stating that the manifesto would help realise the dreams of his father late Biju Patnaik, he claimed that Odisha had turned out to be a revenue surplus state under BJD rule, while there was a substantial reduction in poverty in the state.
