Journalism of Courage
Shat pratishat kriyanvan hundred per cent implementation of our previous poll promises,Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh repeatedly announces at several forums,is the BJPs chief electoral plank this year. Many of the promises his party made during the last two elections,however,have remained that,some of them having been repeated poll after poll. A look at what the BJP has been promising and how much it has delivered.
Manifesto 2003
Rs 500 unemployment allowance to all youths who pass Class XII
People dont remember the scheme,the state government doesnt even talk of it today
A cow for each tribal family
Government claims to have given cows to a few initially,but discontinued the scheme almost immediately
Two hectares land to each SC,ST and economically weaker family
Not given
Over 1,500 dal-bhat centres at every block headquarters to provide meals at Rs 5
Opened at a few HQs,mostly discontinued
Farmer Welfare Fund
Recycled in 2008 and in 2013
Complete withdrawal of land tax
Not done
Collective insurance for rickshaw-pullers,auto-rickshaw drivers and other similar unorganised sector workers
Promise repeated in 2008 and 2013
A farmers court
Not set up
Womens market in every district
Promised again in 2013
Manifesto 2008
Free 5 hp electricity for farmers
Repeated in 2013
Interest free loan for farmers
Still a promise,made again
Chhattisgarh to be free from migration and fear
Repeated in 2013 manifesto. Government officials openly admit migration from tribal areas. From tribal districts like Jashpur,minor girls move en masse to metro cities to work as domestic helps. No policy to prevent this. About fear,this years elections are being held under a security cover that could be the thickest in the country ever
100 insurance for landless labourers
Promis repeated
Pure drinking water and toilets in all villages
Yet to be provided
A law to preserve fertile land that can be used for agriculture
Not enacted
Connection of all villages with concrete road and construction of community centres
Promise repeated in 2013 manifesto. Even conservative estimates suggest at least 3,000 villages are yet to be connected with roads
Special agro-forestry zones
Not created
Interest-free loans for higher education
Not provided
Industries based on forest produce in tribal areas with tribals as their shareholders
Not introduced
Women staff in every police station
Not introduced
Womens Welfare and Development Corporation
Not set up
Working womens hostel in every district
Not done
Selected cities to be developed as knowledge cities
Not done
ITIs at all block headquarters
Not done
A law to protect tribal rights in sale-purchase and illegal acquisition of land
Not enacted
On forest land of tribal areas,at least one educated tribal from every gram panchayat to be employed for the protection of forests
Not done
A national research centre for preservation of tribal arts and folk languages
Not done
A backward class development authority
Promiseepeated in 2013
All vacancies in government departments to be filled
Recycled. The processs to fill vacancy will be initiated, says the 2013 manifesto
One work-hours relaxation for married women employees in state government
Not done
A science museum and a stadium in every district.
2013 manifesto repeats it,and promises indoor stadiums in all municipal areas
Bio-tech and IT park Not set up
Attempts to bring Metro trains for Raipur-Durg-Rajnandgaon and Raipur-Bilaspur
Repeated in 2013
Malnutrition to be eradicated
Repeated in 2013. Last December,Women and Child Development Minister Lata Usendi admitted in the assembly that 1,15,093 children are malnourished in Bastar alone,31,034 of them severely
