JOIN USBJP to focus on women's safety, graft
Giving preference to women safety, zero tolerance for corruption, water, power, education and housing issues, the BJP on Tuesday released a 270-point vision document to woo voters ahead of the February 7 Assembly poll.
Positioning of women security forces in markets, health insurance, new schools and colleges, scrapping of the Bus Rapid Transit corridor in south Delhi, potable water for all, pucca houses for slum dwellers, low cost houses for middle class, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, creation of jobs and security for the elderly figured prominently in the vision document released by chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi.
The use of term “immigrants” for people from the North-East in the BJP’s document sparked a controversy with the Congress demanding an apology from the saffron party. BJP sources said the translation from Hindi text to English inadvertently brought in the mistake.
Bedi shared the party’s vision to make Delhi a world-class city through a powerpoint presentation which was silent on issues seeking “full statehood” for the city and reduction of consumers’ monthly power bills by 30 per cent – the two key points which figured prominently in the party’s 2013 manifesto.
Without making specific announcements on power bill concessions, the BJP’s document said poor families will be provided power at subsidised rate.
The Congress in its manifesto has already announced to give power at Rs 1.50 per unit up to 200 units of domestic consumption and the Aam Aadmi Party has repeated its promise of slashing the consumers’ monthly bills by half. Statehood and more powers for Delhi also figure prominently in the poll promises of the two parties.
Sounding like a leader in a hurry to get down to work, Bedi underlined the next government’s guiding principles as “Utmost transparency, unimpeachable integrity, fullest accountability, maximum measurability, fiscal prudence and zero tolerance for corruption.” “Together we shall make Delhi a world-class city,” Bedi said.
“Dil ki Baat”
She also proposed to start a monthly “Dil ki Baat” radio show – on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own show – and involve cabinet ministers and legislators in directly interacting with people through the show.
“The issues that will simultaneously see action from the new government from the first day are women’s safety and security, youth affairs, electricity and water, housing, civic infrastructure and transport, cleanliness and health, trade and business, education and skill development, jobs and employment and environment,” said Bedi.
“We will achieve all these through detailed analysis of resources, efficient deployment of resources, motivating legislators and bureaucrats measured on delivery metrics,” said the former Indian Police Service officer and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner.