West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released the Trinamool Congress manifesto for the upcoming state Assembly polls on Wednesday, promising an income scheme for all, Rs 10 lakh student credit card, and setting up a task force to examine the inclusion of communities under the OBC category.
Claiming that her government has reduced poverty in the state by 40 per cent, Mamta Banerjee-led TMC has promised to provide income for all families in the state. General category families will be given Rs 6,000 per year, while the SC/ST families to get Rs 12,000 annually.
Reaching out to the 49 per cent women electorate in West Bengal, TMC has promised to provide monthly financial aid to the woman guardian of a family. A sum of Rs 1.000 will be given to women guardians of ST/SC/OBC family monthly, while women from the general category families will get Rs 500 per month. The chief minister also announced a pension of Rs 1,000 to widows above 18 years of age.
"After forming the government, we helped lakhs of widows, senior citizens, and specially-abled people through monetary assistance. For the first time, every family in Bengal will be extended a minimum basic income. Under this (Universal Basic Income) scheme, the direct transfers will be made to the woman head of a family," Mamata Banerjee said after releasing her party’s manifesto.
TMC has also promised a student credit card scheme will be introduced with a credit limit of Rs 10 lakh and an interest rate of only 4 per cent will be charged.
"It will have a provision of easy repayment so that they do not have to depend on their parents," Mamata said.
Christened as "Didi'r 10 Angikar (10 Resolutions of Didi)", the manifesto also listed projects for improving the economy and the health sector, creation of jobs, food security, providing affordable housing, electricity, and piped drinking water to people.
TMC has also promised to provide affordable housing to people under Bengal Awas Yojana in which an additional 25 lakh low-cost houses will be built, and each house will have a tap water facility and an improved drainage system.
Mamata has promised to provide Rs 5 lakh jobs every year, saying that “the TMC government in its third term would add 2,000 big industrial units to the existing base of 10,000 units in the next five years.”
In order to woo the backward Hindu communities such as Mahisya, Tili, Tamul and, Sahas, TMC supremo has said that she set up a Special Task Force will be formed to examine and propose OBC status to communities that are not currently recognised as so.
The BJP, however, claimed that the TMC manifesto is nothing but an effort by the ruling party to fool people.
"From the promises, it seems they have done nothing in the last 10 years. Now, ahead of the assembly polls, they are trying to fool the masses.” Shamik Bhattacharya, BJP state spokesperson, said.
The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal will end on May 30 this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 voters will choose their representative for the 17th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.
Voting will happen in eight phases and the first phase of polling will take place on April 1. The results will be declared on May 2.
(With inputs from PTI)