West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday released Trinamool Congress' (TMC) election manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Bengal polls 2021 will be held in 8 phases, beginning March 27 while the final phase of voting will be held on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
TMC's poll manifesto for West Bengal Elections 2021 | Big takeaways
- Releasing the party's manifesto for the upcoming polls, Mamata Banerjee promised increasing employment opportunities. She said her government will work towards decreasing unemployment, saying they will create 5 lakh jobs in a year.
- We will ensure a minimum annual income of Rs 6,000 and Rs 12,000 for general category and backward community people respectively in Bengal, Mamata said while releasing the poll manifesto.
- Claiming it to be a "development-oriented" manifesto, TMC promised an income scheme for all families, a student credit card and a constitution of a task force to examine the inclusion of several communities under the OBC category.
- "For the first time, every family in Bengal will be extended a minimum basic income. Under this, 1.6 crore general category families will get Rs 500 a month, whereas SC/ST category families will get Rs 1,000. The money will be directly transferred to the woman head of a family," Banerjee said.
- A new 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, the West Bengal chief minister said.
- "We will set up 10 lakh new MSMEs and 2000 new big industrial units in the next five years," she said.
- "We shall appoint a Special Task Force to examine and propose OBC status to all the communities which are not recognised as OBCs like Mahishya, Tili, Tamul and Sahas. We will also ask the Government of India to grant ST status to Mahatos," the TMC chief said.
- A Special Development Board would be set up for the development of Terai and Dooars region in north Bengal, she said.
- 'Duare Sarkar' program will be held four months a year. Free ration will be provided at doorstep, Mamata Banerjee said.
Mamata Banerjee said, "this is not a political manifesto, it is a development-oriented manifesto. This a manifesto of the people, for the people, and by the people."
When TMC came to power our revenue was about Rs 25,000 crore, it is now over Rs 75,000 crores, Mamata said in the presser.
Mamata also slammed the Centre saying, "the Election Commission is being guided by the BJP. They are misusing the powers of the Election Commission."
(With inputs from PTI)
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