BJP leaders today released the party’s manifesto for the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) elections.
After releasing the document, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said that drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “core mantra of Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan,” the party will work towards strengthening grassroots democracy, promoting good governance, improving healthcare, education, infrastructure and access to the central government schemes.
“We will ensure doorstep delivery of all panchayat services. We will strictly follow ‘zero tolerance to corruption’ policy, and provide honest and transparent governance, free of cut-money and corruption,” Mr Bista said, adding, “ We will put an end to land mafia, mining mafia, cross border smuggling of cattle, and the culture of political violence practiced by the TMC.”
According to him, BJP-led panchayats will ensure implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and Parja Patta land rights for tea garden workers, and those living in DI Fund land.
Flanked by district party president and Matigara MLA Anandamay Barman, Phansidewa MLA Durga Murmu, and other BJP leaders and karyakartas, Mr Bista appealed to the people of the region to help elect BJP candidates and usher in an era of good governance and transformative change at the grassroots level.
Mr Bista also promised that if the BJP comes to power in the SMP, it will provide clean and safe drinking water to every household 24 hours through the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ yojana.
“We will ensure the development and modernization of markets in Matigara, Naxalbari, Panitanki, Phansidewa, Bidhan Nagar and Khoribari. Every village will have road and bridge connection through ‘MGNREGA and PMGSY’.
We will establish cold chain in all panchayats, ensure 100% coverage of farmers under ‘Kissan Samman Nidhi’, and 100% support to farmers for marketing their produce through ‘e-NAM’ and other avenues. We will rejuvenate traditional water bodies and rivers like Bataria, Budiganga, Damuria, Bon, Chenga, Mahananda, Balason, Fuleswari and Jorapani. We will also introduce water conservation and ground water recharging schemes at all panchayats, and initiate drip-irrigation and other modern farming methods.
BJP led panchayats will ensure 100% pucca house by 2024 for everyone under ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana’, and employment and skill development opportunities for rural youth through the ‘Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana’,” Mr Bista said.
“We will provide 100% financial help to widows, elderly, people with disability through ‘National Social Assistance Programme’.
We will focus on the development of border villages through the Vibrant Villages Yojana’,” the MP added.