Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday unveiled its Goa election manifesto assuring various populist measures including affordable housing to all, economic soaps and also ceiling on the taxes on petrol and diesel to control their prices in the coastal state.
BJP has said that we will through its constant efforts, propel Goa to a growth trajectory that will enable the state to become a 50 billion dollar economy in the next ten years.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in presence of chief minister Pramod Sawant and BJP Goa Unit President Sadanand Shet Tanavade unveiled the manifesto that speaks about empowering future of Goa, increasing tourism activities, restoring legal mining and eliminating “multidimensional poverty” in the state.
The BJP which has fielded candidates in all the 40 assembly constituencies has assured of completely eliminating multidimensional poverty in the state over the next five years. “We will deliver social welfare benefits to the poor in a timely manner and through direct benefit transfers. We will increase the old age pension under DDSSY to Rs 3,000 per month,” the manifesto reads.
In an important assurance, BJP, which is currently ruling the state, has assured restoring of mining activity within six months of returning to power through Goa Mineral Development Corporation and auction of Iron Ore blocks through transparent leasing and by following the due process of law.
The party has assured to “double the number of annual tourist arrivals in the state in the next five years by harnessing the potential for inland tourism, medical tourism and promoting heritage and spiritual tourism while augmenting the current infrastructure around adventure sports and beach tourism.”
BJP has said that after returning to power, the BJP will make Goa the meetings, conventions and exhibition hub (MICE) of Asia further boosting the tourism sector.
On the sports front, the party has assured to launch “Mission Gold Coast” to create an Olympic gold medalist for India from Goa.
Wooing women voters, the party has said that it will provide three free LPG cylinders to every household in Goa to ease the burden on the homemakers of the state.
“We shall provide good quality housing for all Goans in the next five years by providing home loans for deserving families at an interest rate of two per cent for women and four per cent for men and developing and providing residential plots,” the manifesto reads.
The party has assured to launch Manohar Parrikar Kalyan Fund which will be a Common Development Fund of up to Rs three crore for every panchayat and up to Rs five crore for every municipality to boost infrastructure.
BJP has also said that it will not increase taxes on petrol and diesel to ensure that the prices of these commodities remain stable.
