BJP promises good governance

With just six days left for elections to the Punjab Assembly, the Bhartiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its manifesto promising good governance to the people and a strong Lokayukta.

BJP  said it would adopt cost control methodology to check spiralling prices of commodities, will generate new avenues for youngsters and iron out all troubles of industry and traders.

They said the state would also be made power surplus, urban development would be prime focus and everyone would be provided education and living facilities.

The manifesto was released by the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley in the presence of party's General Secretary J P Nadda and campaign in-charge and MP Navjot Sidhu in Jalandhar on Tuesday.

Among the major parties the Congress had taken the lead in releasing its manifesto followed by SAD which released its manifesto on Sunday.

Elections to the 117-member state assembly are to be held on 30^th January and the campaigning ends on Saturday evening.

"All the leaders, who have amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income, will face tune as their entire wealth would be declared government property.

"Special arrangements would be made to address public grievances. The administrative arrangements would be made transparent and accountable as well as new strength would be infused in them. More services would be brought under Right to Service Act's ambit," the party assured.

Through the manifesto, electorates have been promised that center's wrong policies, which have spiralled inflation, would be brought under control, public distribution system would be strengthened and octroi would be lifted from diesel and petrol bringing much needed respite to the city dwellers, as is being given to their rural counterparts.

Unemployed youth were assured that BJP government would fasten the procedure of filling seats that have been lying vacant since long, the manifesto said adding the youngsters would be imparted skill development training to make them more employable.

The BJP also promised to make Punjab a power surplus state and to meet this target all the thermal power plants under construction would be completed on time.

Efforts would also be made to produce power from non-conventional sources of energy. A 24-hour power supply would be ensured in rural and urban areas alike, it added.

Besides this, the Pakistan borders posts of Attari (Amritsar) and Hussainiwala (Ferozepur) would be encouraged with increased trading activity and the central government would be pressurised to extend its Delhi-Mumbai corridor till Amritsar.

In order to ensure development in education, the recruitment of teachers in state would continue and every girl, student of Dalit and backward class would be given free education.

The manifesto said computer education would be introduced from primary classes onwards and in the field of technical education the earn-while-learn concept would be introduced.

Students from poor, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes would be provided free training for IAS and PCS exams, it added.

To strengthen the health facilities in state, district level super specialty hospitals would be set-up.

Government help would be given to people suffering from cancer and chronic diseases and the free delivery and mother-child care facility schemes at government hospitals would be continued.

District level rehabilitation centers for drug addicts would be upgraded technically and all kind of help would be extended, the party said.

The BJP promised development and programmes in other fields including housing, strict action in cases of crime against women and NRI brides, increase in minimum wages, regularization of temporary employees, introduction of modern buses as part of public transport system, honouring sports persons, provide one rank one pension to ex-servicemen and increase old age pension.

Concerted efforts also would be made for rehabilitation of Hindu and Sikh families that have migrated from Pakistan, it said.