By IANS
Ahmedabad : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday promised to build a poverty-free Gujarat.
It also pledged to clear all pending applications for electricity connections from farmers, provide a home for every homeless, and supply both irrigation and drinking water to everyone.
Unveiling the party’s election manifesto – four days before the first phase of polls in the state Dec 11 – state party president Purshottam Rupala told reporters that the party had vowed to eliminate poverty by 2010, when Gujarat completes 50 years of its existence as a separate state.
Asked to comment on central Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela’s statement that the BJP has failed to deliver any of its promises made during the 2002 polls, Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala said all the election pledges had been fulfilled.
Rupala added that the state would be able to achieve a growth rate of 12 percent per annum and continue to be the growth engine of the country.
The other major promises in the 48-page manifesto include 100 percent enrolment in primary education, comprehensive insurance cover to destitute families and linking every village and city through a road network.
To further boost agricultural growth, efforts would be made to expand the irrigation capacity by another 1.5 times so that farmers get all the water they need to reduce their dependence on electricity to draw out ground water.
Availability of power has been identified as another key focus area. The manifesto said the goal would be to achieve a generating capacity of 20,000 megawatts, double the current capacity.
New power plants to come up in public and private sectors will be set up on fast track basis. Transmission and distribution loss will be reduced from 21 percent to 15 percent.
The manifesto speaks of a “giant leap” in industrial growth through cluster development. The government will encourage the setting up of one special economic zone in every district.
To bridge gaps in infrastructure facilities, an Industrial Area Development Authority will come up.
To a question that the manifesto did not offer anything for the minorities, a party leader replied that the BJP believed in serving all the 55 million people of the state. “Our party does not believe in appeasement politics.”