On sops shower,BJP in SP footsteps

On the question of the Ram temple,however,the manifesto reiterated its known position that it is committed to removal of all hurdles in the way of construction of the temple. It has also promised setting up of a ‘spiritual Disneyland’ in Mathura and Vrindavan.

The manifesto,which carried the photo of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the cover,was released by Om Prakash Singh,BJP leader in the state assembly,in the presence of state president Surya Pratap Shahi,former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti and national vice-presidents Kalraj Mishra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

It said that statues of Sant Kabir,Ravidas,Uda Devi,Bijli Pasi,Jhalkari Bai will be installed in the memorials and parks developed by the Mayawati government,the Ganga Expressway project would be scrapped to protect environment around the river,and a law enacted to stop development of expressways along rivers and canals.

The manifesto promised to fix the state advisory price of sugarcane at Rs 300 per quintal in the next crushing season,give one cow free to every family living below the poverty line and impose a total ban on cow slaughter.

The party said it would take strong measures to check activities of ISI,HUJI and SIMI and,unlike the SP and BSP governments,there will be no interference in the working of police and security forces. It said that the state had become a haven for anti-national organisations and as many as 40 districts were affected by terrorism and religious fanaticism.

Like the SP,the BJP manifesto also promised the constitution of an inquiry commission into the probe alleged corruption and scandals during the BSP regime. It has promised to give more powers to the Lokayukta,bring the chief minister within its purview and enact a law to make it mandatory for the elected representative to declares their and family members income and assets within 90 days of election.

Other promises included round-the-clock power supply for irrigation; metro rail and rapid transport projects in Lucknow,Kanpur,Allahabad,Varanasi,Agra,Gorakhpur,Saharanpur; introduction of weavers credit cards; connectivity of all primary health centres with a state telemedicine network,and development of a research centre and hospital to control encephalitis in eastern UP.

The party said Lucknow,Kanpur,Allahabad,Gorakhpur and Jhansi will be developed as software business centres like Banglore and Hyderabad. The Gomti riverfront in Lucknow and the Yamuna riverfront in Vrindavan would be developed like the Samarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Singh said poor students up to class XII will get tablets and those above class XII laptops. Student not belonging to poor families will,however,have to pay Rs 1,000 for tablets and Rs 5,000 for laptops. The computers will be loaded with educational softwares,and every school will have high-speed broadband connectivity.

Besides,free books,four sets of school uniform,one pair of shoes and one school bag will be provided free to poor students every year up to Class XII. Girl students willl also get bicycle. The party promised to create one crore jobs in the next five years and ensure 50 per cent jobs for UP youths.