BJP releases \'Sankalp Patra\' for Delhi municipal polls; online services

NEW DELHI: The BJP's MCD poll manifesto, promising flats to slum dwellers, cheap meals for Rs 5 through 50 Annapurna Rasois, free bicycles to girl students, 1,000 permanent Chhath ghats, new cow shelters and development of "happiness" areas, was released by party leaders here on Friday.

The "Sankalp Patra" of the saffron party also pledged to make Delhi a clean, green and sustainable city through initiatives such as 100 per cent garbage disposal through waste-to-energy conversion, clearing the trash from three landfill sites by 2023, door-to-door garbage collection and setting up 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the next five years.

Releasing the manifesto, Union minister Piyush Goyal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's achievements in Delhi are nothing except corruption and publicity. He said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has been exposed and the "people betrayed by it will no longer be misled".

"Delhiites will support the BJP in the MCD polls," Goyal asserted.

The polls for the 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be held on December 7.

Goyal also alleged that the Kejriwal government deprived the three erstwhile municipal corporations in the capital of their due funds and failed to work with the Centre in a collaborative manner to help the civic body discharge its functions.

Highlighting the major points of the manifesto, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said within 100 days of coming to power in the MCD, the saffron party will bring all the services of the civic body online, do away with the requirement of factory licences and issue trade and health licences online.

The unified MCD is in a better position to serve the Delhiites, Gupta said while pointing out that providing e-cycle facilities at major places in the city for last-mile connectivity and solar-powered streetlights by 2023 have also been promised in the 12-point "Sankalp Patra".

The manifesto also pledged various women-centric initiatives, including 50 Annapurna Rasois, which will provide meals to the needy for Rs 5 per plate, to be run by them. It also promised a 5-per cent additional rebate to women in property registration.

Gupta said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is committed to providing flats to all slum dwellers as it did recently in Kalkaji, where the possession of 3,024 flats with all amenities was handed over to slum dwellers.

"We will provide housing to seven lakh poor in Delhi in five years with the Centre's assistance. Also, two lakh slum dwellers will be given flats," he said, adding that 17,000 flats under the "Jahan Juggi Wahin Makan" scheme are ready.

The BJP manifesto also promised regularising more than 3,000 DBCs (domestic breeding checkers) who are working to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases by controlling the mosquito population.

The manifesto covered all sections of the society, promising among other things 4,000 autorickshaw stands, providing the benefits of the Ayushman Yojana to MCD employees, Jan Aushadhi Kendras linked to MCD dispensaries and health centres and free parking facilities for journalists.

The manifesto also promised various reliefs to Delhiites, including no fee for map approvals for 100-metre plots, a single-window mechanism for map approval for plots measuring 100 to 500 metres and an exemption of up to 15 per cent in the commercial property tax for entrepreneurs and businessmen.

The saffron party also promised to regularise the weekly markets and provide various benefits to hawkers and vendors such as fee waiver and insurance, rest areas and washrooms, MCD identity cards and kiosks for washermen and cobblers.

The manifesto also talks about creating self-employment opportunities for youngsters through initiatives such as food trucks, night food markets, cloud kitchen policy and making Delhi a startup hub.

On the line of the AAP government's "happiness curriculum", the BJP promised to come up with "happiness areas" to encourage youngsters in activities related to music and arts.

The manifesto also promised to set up smart classes in 907 MCD schools by 2024.

In order to solve the parking problem in the city, the manifesto promised two multi-level parking lots in each of the 12 zones of Delhi by 2024. Further, starting 10,000 open gymnasiums and yoga huts in all city parks by 2023, increasing the financial assistance of Rs 40 per cow to Rs 100 and setting up new cow shelters are also part of the manifesto.