Manifesto focuses on farmers, women

Raipur: In its Chhattisgarh manifesto, also released on Saturday, the BJP has promised to make the state Naxal- free. It offered interest free loan of ` 2 lakh for women entrepreneurs, ` 1,000 monthly pension for poor farmers and 24- hr electricity for farmers.

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhattisgarh on Saturday promised to make the state Naxal free, if the party retained power in the two- phase Assembly elections in the state scheduled to be held on November 12 and 20.

Releasing poll manifesto of his party in Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah said the counterinsurgency measures would further be stepped up to free the state completely of Maoist menace.

The poll manifesto announced ` two lakh grant to women entrepreneurs to start their ventures, unemployment allowance in form of skill development, allowance to the unemployed youth, and 24 hours electricity supply to the farmers in the state. Besides, the manifesto also announc- ed to provide two lakh pumps to farmers in the state in coming five years.

The poll manifesto of Congress released by the party’s national president Rahul Gandhi on Friday announced to waive farm loans, allowance to unemployed youths, 35 kg rice at a price of ` one a kilo to the poor, and increase the Minimum Support Price of paddy and maize to ` 2500 and ` 1700 per quintal respectively.