Telangana polls: BJP manifesto vows to close liquor shops twice a week

Hyderabad: The BJP manifesto promises lifting of VAT on petrol and diesel, liquor holiday for two days in a week, protection of religious and wakf assets, finance corporations for every distinct community and travel fare concessions for tourists on pilgrimages

Manifesto committee chairman N.V.S. Prabhakar on Saturday gave a peek into the manifesto which said all government departments would look at the Excise Department as a revenue source. Citing liquor as the reason behind several social evils, the party has resolved to slap a ban on the sale of liquor for two days in a week and regulate the sales from morning 10 to evening 6. If BJP comes to power, bars would also be shut by 6 pm.

The party promises to give free travel to people going to villages for festivals and jataras and stop differential pricing of RTC rates during the festive season. People on Ayyappa deeksha, Kondagattu deeksha will be pampered with free travel.

Value Added Tax (VAT), a major component in the fuel bill would be lifted and petrol and diesel would be made cheaper, Mr. Prabhakar said. The manifesto promises job security, health scheme to outsourced employees in gram panchayats and municipalities, and a task force would be constituted to protect the properties of wakf, endowments and Christian institutions.