At a press conference in Kolkata, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday released the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Sankalpa Patra’ (manifesto) for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
In the manifesto, the saffron party has promised that if it is elected to power, it will increase the monthly assistance provided by the state government to women and unemployed youth to Rs 3,000.
Shah claimed that the state would provide pregnant women with Rs 21,000 and six nutrition kits if the BJP were to be elected. The BJP leader also promised free travel for women in all state government buses.
He stated that they would implement the 7th Pay Commission within 45 days of coming to power.
Criticizing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, Shah said, “These 15 years for Bengal and its people are like kal ratri (dark night). With a lot of hope, the people of West Bengal had given a mandate to Mamata Banerjee. They (TMC) got a second term, saying they did not get enough time and got the third mandate with the help of infiltrators and goons.”
Highlighting the issue of cross-border infiltration, Shah said, “The public is fearful that if this infiltration goes on, then what will happen to West Bengal’s identity. Give us an opportunity, and we will find each infiltrator and remove them.”
The Union home minister also promised to bring a Uniform Civil Code in the state.
The BJP leader claimed that North Bengal has been deprived and promised an AIIMS, an IIM, an IIT, and a fashion designing institution for the region. He also said that Rajbangshi and Kurumalai will be given the status of a special language.
Talking about industrialization, Shah said Haldia port will be made a part of the blue economy, and the closed mills in the state would be refurbished. “Also, Tajpur and Kulpi will get modern deep-sea ports,” he added.
The BJP has also promised to conduct a study for developing Greater Kolkata for the next 10 years and expand the Kolkata Metro network by 100 per cent.
Shah further promised that all Illegal encroachments would be removed from state government land within 200 days of them forming the government.
Last month, Shah released the BJP ‘chargesheet’ against the TMC government, accusing it of misrule and corruption during its 15-year-long rule.
Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and 29. The results for the 294-member Assembly will be counted on May 4.