Goa Election 2017: AAP releases manifesto inspired from Delhi's list of campaign promises

On 14 January, the AAP in Goa took a leaf out of its Delhi’s list of campaign promises, while announcing its manifesto for the forthcoming Assembly polls. The four-year-old party is making its political debut in the tiny coastal state, whose Assembly consists of 40 seats. The AAP, unlike other parties, has already announced its chief ministerial candidate — Elvis Gomes, a retired bureaucrat. The electoral battle is increasingly turning out to be unpredictable, as there are four major parties in the fray this time — Congress, ruling BJP, MGP-led mahayuti and the AAP. Here are some of the major manifesto promises the new entrant had made in its 14 January announcement:

• Free potable water for every household up to 20,000 litres
• Halving of domestic electricity bills and starting mohalla clinics
• Tighter land conversion norms and community justice centres for women for prompt action vis a vis crimes against women
• Fast track courts, all-women police stations, a rapid action force to tackle crimes against women
• Free sanitary napkins for school girls and automatic dispensing machines for sanitary napkins
• Protect the state’s rivers by heavily penalising polluters
• Five women police stations across the coastal state

The party also promised that Goa will be garbage-free in an year. [caption id=“attachment_3166526” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Goa AAP CM candidate Elvin Gomes. Twitter[/caption] The manifesto also promised that Goa as a free WiFi zone. The party promised to work towards affordable housing and ban forceful land conversions, while also looking to discourage speculative real estate. Gomes said, “Khazans (coastal agricultural land tracts) will remain khazans, forests will remain forests and farms will remain farms.” The AAP will also replicate the Delhi government’s mohalla clinics, referred to as vaddo (ward) clinics in its poll manifesto. Around 400 vaddo clinics will be built in village panchayats and municipality wards across Goa. A network of polyclinics, multi-specialty hospitals and super specialty hospitals will also be set up with digital referral systems linked to vaddo clinics. Gomes added that clinics would provide free treatment, free medicines and free testing for all. Seva kendras will also be set up across the state for ease of paying bills, filling forms and handling administrative tasks for senior citizens. The AAP also said that they will provide 50,000 jobs in five years through entrepreneurship development and by supporting existing and new industries. (With inputs from agencies)