BJP manifesto is all about tackling inflation, black money and job creation

Releasing its manifesto this morning, the Bhartiya Janta Party said reining in inflation, job creation, eliminating the scope for corruption and ensuring minimization of black money will be its priority if the party is voted into power.Emphasizing its stand on a key economic policy, the BJP said it will welcome Foreign Direct Investment in all sectors that will create jobs, except in multi-brand retail. The party has promised a low-cost housing programme to give every family a proper home within a decade, and 100 new “smart cities.”

Here are the highlights of the BJP Manifesto:

1. Rein in inflation:

BJP will rein in inflation by putting in place strict measures and special Courts to stop hoarding and black marketing, setting up a Price Stabilisation Fund, unbundling operations of Food Corporation of India into procurement, storage and distribution, leverage on technology to disseminate Real time data, especially to farmers - on production, price, imports, stocks and overall availability, promote and support area specific crops and vegetables linked to food habits of the people

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2.Job creation and opportunities for entrepreneurship in both rural and urban areas

BJP will strategically develop high impact domains like Labour-intensive manufacturing (viz. textile, footwear, electronics assembly, etc.) and Tourism.It will strengthen the traditional employment bases of agriculture and allied industries, and retail - through modernization as well as stronger credit and market linkages. It aims to upgrade infrastructure and housing, for its job generating potential.

BJP will encourage and empower youth for self-employment, incubating entrepreneurship and facilitating credit is high on its agenda.The party will transform its Employment Exchanges into Career Centres - connecting youth with job opportunities in a transparent and effective manner through the use of technology; as well as provide counselling and training.

3.Tackle Corruption

BJP aims to eliminate the scope for corruption thorugh public awareness, technology enabled e-Governance, minimizing the discretion in the citizen-government interface. It wants a system-based, policy-driven governance to make the system more transparent.

4. Rationalization and simplification of the tax regime is another priority.

BJP will provide a non adversarial and conducive tax environment, rationalize and simplify the tax regime,overhaul the dispute resolution mechanisms, bring on board all State governments in adopting GST, provide tax incentives for investments in research and development, geared towards indigenizationof technology and innovation

5. Minimise black money

BJP is committed to initiate the process of tracking down and bringing back black money stashed inforeign banks and offshore accounts. by setting up a Task Force and recommendamendments to existing laws or enact new laws.

6. Tackling policy paralysis
BJP will encourage the bureaucracy to take right decisionsand contribute their might in building a modern India. The party willremove bottlenecks and missing links in all sectors, activities and services. It willfocus on proper planning and execution and ensurethat the chain of responsibility and accountability is built in thesystem.

Foreign Direct Investment:

Barring the multi-brand retail sector, FDI will be allowed in sectors wherever needed for job and assetcreation, infrastructure and acquisition of niche technology and specialized expertise.

BJP to protect the interest of small and medium retailers, SMEs and those employed by them.

TheFIPBs (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) functioning shall be made more efficient and investor-friendly

BJP has committed highest priority to agricultural growth, increase in farmer’s income and rural development.

The party will increase public investment in agriculture and rural development. It will takesteps to enhance the profitability in agriculture, by ensuring a minimum of 50% profits over the cost of production, cheaper agriculture inputs and credit; introducing latest technologies for farming and high yielding seeds and linking MGNREGA to agriculture.

BJP will accord high priority to the growth of manufacturing

BJP believes manufacturing must grow fast to ensure employment and asset creation.

The party will take steps for Interest rate rationalization and have a clear tax policy to remove uncertainty and create investor confidence, further steps like removing red-tapism involved in approvals, to make it easy to do business, invest in logistics infrastructure, ensure power supply and undertake labour reforms, besides other steps to create a conducive environment for investors will be undertaken.

The party will the public spending on R&D and Incentivize R&D investments and will facilitate setting up of software and hardware manufacturing units.

The party will build world class Ports, connecting them with roads and rail to the hinterland. Air Cargo facilities will be enhanced, an Export Promotion Mission will be established.. Current accounts deficit will be brought down aggressively by focusing on exports and reducing the dependency on imports. The party will embark on the path of IPRs and Patents in a big way

7. Centre-state relations

BJP will focus on Centre-State relations. It will evolve a model of national development, which is driven by states rather than the centre.

“Team India will include Chief Ministers and other functionaries as equal partners.” Party will ensure fiscal autonomy of states while urging financial discipline as well as create ‘Regional Councils of States’. The party will encourage cooperation among states on security-related issues, inter-state disputes and for removing inter-regional economic disparities and promoting tourism and aims to involve state governments in the promotion of foreign trade and commerce.

8. BJP will evolve Public Private Partnership (PPP) model into a People-Public-PrivatePartnership (PPPP) model

9.E-Governance. BJP aims to nurture a Digital India and wants toBJP make every household digitally literate

Digitization of Government records will be taken up on top priority. Deplyoment of broadband in every village would be a thrust area and the party will generate IT based jobs in rural and semi-urban areas.

BJP will make all institutions and schools eenabled in a phased manner. Digital learning and training to be used extensively.

The party will initiate a National e-Governance Plan to cover every Government office from the centre to the panchayats. The ‘E-Gram, Vishwa Gram’ scheme in Gujarat to be implemented nationwide.

The party will use mobile and e-Banking to ensure financial inclusion.

10. Food security

BJP will review all the laws and schemes, in consultation with the states. It will review the Public Distribution System ( PDS) models, and incorporate the best practices to revise the existing PDS,address issue of under-nutrition and malnutrition, encourage production of cereals, pulses and oils, radically transform the Food Corporation of India (FCI), ensure contingency stocks for any exigencies arising due to natural calamities or external factors and seek the participation of voluntary organizations in running community kitchens.

11.’Rural Rejuvenation:

Agriculture, rural development and poverty alleviation will go hand in hand. Major thrust area for rural development would be to improve village level infrastructure in terms of roads, potable water, education, health, supply chain, electricity, broadband, job creation, security in rural areas and linkage to markets

12. Urbanisation is a major theme of the party and the BJP will initiate building 100 new cities enabled with the latest in technology and infrastructure. Urban development will be based on concepts like Twin cities and Satellite towns.

Cleanliness and Sanitation will be given priority. Model towns will be identified for rolling out integrated waste management infrastructure

Wi-Fi facilities will be made available in public places and commercial centres.
Urban poverty alleviation scheme would be a key thrust area.
Use technology for scientific, strategic and long term town planning - including GIS based mapping.
Build quality integrated Public Transport systems, discouraging usage of private vehicles

13. Generate more energy, waste less:

BJP will takesteps to maximize the potential of oil, gas, hydel power, ocean, wind, coal and nuclearsources.

Party will set up small-hydro power generation projects and will take steps to increase the domestic coal exploration and production, to bridge the demand and supply gap. Oil and gas explorations would also be expedited to help reduce the import bill.

Renewable sources of energy an important component of India’s energy mix. BJP to expand and strengthen the national solar mission.

14. Innovation to get a push

BJP will ensure promotion of innovation by creating a comprehensive national system of innovation.

BJP will ensure promotion of innovation by creating a comprehensive national system of innovation. Among the various measures announced by BJP, it will set up an institute of Big data and Analytics for studying the impact of big data across sectors for 36 predictive science.

15. Social policy

BJP to roll out low-cost housing programme to give every family a proper home within a decade.

Will link welfare programmes like rural jobs schemes to “asset creation”.

Will review labour laws.

Will make water reach all homes, factories and farms by encourage efficient use, water conservation, recycling and rain water harvesting, nurturing ground water recharge and facilitating piped water to all households.