Goa Election 2017: Here's a comparison of the manifestos released by BJP, Congress

With an eye on the 4 February Assembly election in Goa, the BJP released its manifesto on 29 January. BJP’s Goa chief Vinay Tendulkar, while talking about the manifesto, had said, “Few things which are left incomplete would be repeated in this manifesto. We have fulfilled 90 percent assurances given in the 2012 manifesto”. On the other hand, the Congress party had released its manifesto on 23 January. We look into both the party’s 2012 and 2017 election manifesto and analyse the major points. Congress 2017 Currently, Congress is in the Opposition. Senior party leader and former chief minister, Pratapsinh Rane, is the Leader of Opposition. Lok Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia had released the manifesto in the presence of Goa Congress chief Luizenho Faleiro and other party members.

• Banning all casinos including the ones on floating vessels
• To investigate all permissions granted by the Investment Promotion Board to set up industry in the state
• To fight against drug peddling in the state
• Free five litres of petrol per month for every college student having valid driving licence
• To restore mining immediately incorporating the entire recommendation of the Supreme Court
• Reservation for STs in Goa Assembly

2012 In 2012, Congress was in power in Goa. Digambar Kamat was the chief minister then.

• 150 units of free electricity and water to the weaker sections of the society
• To provide 5,000 flats and row houses through the Housing Board Corporation
• To set up fast track courts to solve land related disputes
• Slum-free Goa by rehabilitatng slum dwellers
• Constitute a committee of agricultural experts to survey fallow paddy fields to suggest an action plan to make it cultivable
• To increase the ceiling of mediclaim scheme from Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs seven lakh covering all illnesses
• To increase monthly allowance of senior citizens under Dayanand Niradhar Yojana from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500

[caption id=“attachment_3244072” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] BJP 2017 The party now rules the state under the leadership of Laxmikant Parsekar. The 2017 party manifesto was released by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday.

• Special plan to provide SC/ST communities with quality education and skill training to enable employment
• Make Goa unemployment-free in next five years
• Tourism to get industry status in Goa
• Make Goa garbage-free by building two more garbage plants
• Making Goa investor friendly by setting up an ombudsman for time-bound redressal of grievances related to tourism and other sectors
• Phasing out plastic use in designated spots to make the state plastic-free.
• Support regional language schools at primary level with infrastructural facilities.
• Develop a world class convention centre for national/international events
• Comprehensive mobility plan to help develop inter-city as well as intra-city transportation
• Deendayal Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to be expanded to cover all government servants
• Atal Aasara Yojna to be extended for OBC community in Goa

2012 In 2012, BJP was in the Opposition. Manohar Parrikar, the current defence minister, was the then Leader of Opposition in the Goa Vidhan Sabha.

• Reducing the prices of petrol by scrapping VAT on it.
• Homemakers to recieve an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month
• One lakh rupees to be deposited as marriage expenses in the bank account of a girl,once she completes 18 years of age
• Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSS), pension amount to be increased from Rs 1,000 per month to Rs 2,000
• Sixty percent of the royalty from mining to be spent on development of infrastructure and environment revitalisation
• Unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500 per month under the minimum employment assurance scheme