New Delhi: From granting ownership rights to people living in refugee colonies to reopening 13,000 sealed shops in the national capital, Rs 10 lakh life insurance for gig workers and labourers, a clean Yamuna within 3 years, to 50,000 government jobs for the youth, the BJP has announced a slew of measures in the concluding part of its Delhi polls manifesto.
The party has also assured free metro rides worth Rs 4,000 for “needy” students if it comes to power.
The BJP has promised complete ownership rights including construction, repair and sale in Delhi’s 1,700+ unauthorised colonies. According to BJP leaders, the move will benefit over 40 lakh people residing in unauthorised colonies in Delhi.
The PM-UDAY scheme was introduced in December 2019 to address the long-standing demand of residents of such colonies for legal recognition. Backed by the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, the initiative aimed to benefit over 10 lakh households. However, the scheme has received a poor response.
Support Unhyphenated Journalism
Quality journalism you can trust, with exceptional ground reporting that gives you access to the story behind the story.
The third and final part of the BJP’s manifesto was unveiled by Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday. “Modi ji has announced the granting of ownership rights to more than 1,700 unauthorised colonies. Previously, these colonies did not have permission for construction, buying, or selling. Now, by granting them full ownership rights and aligning with the Ministry of Housing’s regulations and Delhi’s bylaws, we will give them the right to construct and sell,” he said.
PM Modi, Shah added, has established the “politics of performance”.
He also reiterated that “no welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped in Delhi and BJP will fulfil all its promises”. Targeting Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he told them to stop spreading “rumours” through WhatsApp messages and calls.
“Kejriwal makes promises and doesn’t fulfil them and then comes back to the people with a series of false promises again. I just want to remind Kejriwal that my government would not take the government bungalow, and he took the bungalow and didn’t stop there but renovated it after spending a huge amount and converted it into a ‘Sheeshmahal’,” said Shah.
He added: “India has witnessed many scams but never saw an education minister indulging in a liquor scam. Had the Modi government not worked for Delhi’s welfare, the city would not have been liveable.”
Shah said there are 13,000 shops lying sealed in Delhi which will be reopened within six months. The home minister further said that refugees from Pakistan living in resettlement colonies in Delhi on lease will also be given ownership of property.
“A welfare board for gig workers will also be formed. Health insurance up to Rs 10 lakh and accident cover of up to Rs 5 lakh will be given. Additionally, benefits will also be given to their children including scholarship,” Shah said. Similar schemes have been announced for textile workers.
For labourers and workers, the BJP has promised loans up to Rs 3 lakh and life insurance up to Rs 10 lakh for registered workers.
Apart from assuring 50,000 government jobs, Shah said job opportunities for 20 lakh people overall will be created. The BJP has also promised 13,000 new buses to make Delhi a “100 percent e-bus city”.
“We will clean Yamuna in three years and will make Yamuna riverfront on the lines of Sabarmati riverfront,” Shah declared.
The party has also announced welfare schemes for media persons and lawyers. Accredited media persons and lawyers will get life insurance up to Rs 10 lakh and health and accident insurance up to Rs 10 lakh, according to the manifesto.
Shah said an integrated public transport network will be created with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore.
“Needy students will be credited Rs 4,000 per year in their National Common Mobility Card for travelling in metro,” the BJP further said in its manifesto.
Shah also promised a complete abolition of manual scavenging in Delhi.
Out of power in Delhi since 1998, the BJP is eyeing these polls to make a comeback. The second part of its three-part manifesto also said the party would form a special team to probe AAP’s “misgovernance”.
In the first part of its manifesto, presented by party chief J. P. Nadda last Friday, the BJP had promised Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women, and LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to those from economically weaker sections. The AAP, meanwhile, has announced Rs 2,100 to women in direct cash transfers.
The BJP further said that to promote Delhi’s mythological heritage, a grand ‘Mahabharata Corridor’ will be developed.
Delhi will vote on 5 February, and results will be declared on 8 February.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: BJP promises insurance, maternity leave & more to domestic help in Delhi poll manifesto part 2
