RJD STRESSES JOB PLEDGE, VOWS FARM LOAN WAIVER
Bihar manifesto puts focus on youth, agri; Tejashwi hits out at BJP’S employment promise, talks change
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) released its manifesto for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on Saturday, reiterating its pledge to provide a million government jobs if elected to power even as it indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’S promise of generating 1.9 million jobs was a strategy to “fool” voters.
The RJD’S 17-point manifesto, running into 20 pages, also announced the waiver of farm loans, higher minimum support price for farmers, better health care facilities, 22% of the state budget allocated for education (as compared to a little over 20% in 2020-21), regularisation of ad hoc workers in some sectors and plans to develop smart villages.
“We have talked about issues such as employment, women’s empowerment, agri industry, education, smart villages, panchayati raj institute, and health care services,” Tejashwi Yadav said.
PATNA: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) released its manifesto for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on Saturday, reiterating its pledge to provide a million government jobs if elected to power even as it indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’S promise of generating 1.9 million jobs was a strategy to “fool” voters.
The RJD’S 17-point manifesto, running into 20 pages, also announced the waiver of farm loans, higher minimum support price for farmers, better health care facilities, 22% of the state budget allocated for education (as compared to a little over 20% in 2020-21), regularisation of ad hoc workers in some sectors and plans to develop smart villages.
“We have talked about issues such as employment, women’s empowerment, agri industry, education, smart villages, panchayati raj institute, poverty, community development, and health care services,” Tejashwi Yadav, the chief ministerial face of the opposition alliance led by the RJD, said at the party office after the release of the manifesto.
“If we had to make fake promises like the BJP did... we would have promised to give five million or 10 million jobs,” he said.
“Chief minister Nitish Kumar has been raising doubts about our promise of providing one million jobs. So how will his future government fulfil ally BJP’S declaration of 1.9 million jobs? Who are they fooling?” he asked.
In its 11-point Sankalp Patra (document of pledges), the BJP pledged to generate 1.9 million jobs, expand the minimum support price regime, and recruit 300,000 teachers, among others. It also promised free Covid-19 vaccines for Bihar whenever they are approved.
Reaching out to the youth, the RJD’S manifesto pledged to waive fees needed to apply for government jobs and also promised 85% reservation in public service for the state’s students. It also talked about the concept of “equal pay for equal work” along with providing ₹ 1,500 unemployment allowance a month to those up to the age of 35 years.
“This is not a manifesto but our party’s pledge to bring about a change... Every sector has been taken into consideration while preparing this; it will make the state happy and prosperous,” Tejashwi Yadav, 31, said.
He also spoke about developing smart villages with concrete roads and free computer centres in every panchayat.
For the betterment of health infrastructure, a dialysis centre — free for the poor — was promised in each district.
On the education front, apart from increasing budgetary allocations, the manifesto promised speedy hiring of teachers at government schools and a focus on e-learning.