BJP releases manifesto for Telangana polls, promises farm loan waiver, distribution of cows to one lakh people every year

Hyderabad: Farm loan waiver up to Rs two lakh, free laptops to degree students, regulation of liquor sale, free distribution of cows to one lakh people every year are some of the main promises in the BJP’s manifesto for the 7 December Telangana Assembly polls. The manifesto, released Thursday by state BJP president K Laxman, also promised a legislation to prevent “forcible religious conversions” made by offering money and other inducements. “Steps would be take to send back Rohingyas and those who illegally entered from Bangladesh,” it said. [caption id=“attachment_5213891” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] It also promised free distribution of quality seeds and free bore or well or a pumpset to every farmer. Alongside free laptops to degree students, the manifesto said female students from seventh standard to 10th standard will get free cycles. They will also get ‘scooties’ (two-wheelers) with 50 percent subsidy. It also promised free houses to all eligible poor by 2022. Financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month would be paid towards rent till the construction of such houses, it said. In addition to implementation of the NDA government’s ‘Ayushman Bharat’ health scheme, the manifesto promised steps to set up generic medicine centres in every mandal (administrative unit). The unemployed youth will get unemployment dole of Rs 3,116 per month. For welfare of women, the manifesto promised provision of Rs one lakh and one ’tola’ (about 12 grams) gold to poor women at the time of marriage under ‘Sowbhagya Laxmi’ scheme. The manifesto also promised subsidy to senior citizens for visiting Kailash Mansarovar, Kashi and Puri. “Cows would be distributed free of cost every year at the time of festivals and other celebrations,” the manifesto said. The party promised allocation of Rs 100 crore to a ’linguistic board’ proposed to be set up for the welfare of speakers of Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Oriya and Hindi speaking living in the state. It also assured doing away with the surcharge currently being collected (by state-run Road Transport Corporation) for bus travel during festivals. Asserting that BJP would not see liquor sales as a source of revenue, the party promised regulation of sale of liquor. Restrictions would be imposed on the timings for its sale. For law and order, surveillance cameras would be installed at vital places in large numbers across the state. “The backward classes corporation would be allocated Rs 5,000 crore annually,” the manifesto said. For the welfare of minorities, the manifesto promised effective implementation of central schemes, including ‘Seekho aur Kamao’, ‘Naya Manzil’, ‘Pado Pardesh’ and ‘Naya Roshni’. “The lands of Waqf board would be protected. Computer training and skill development would also be offered in Madrassas,” it promised.