BJP manifesto promises fully-developed Chhattisgarh in 5 yrs; Baghel says party copied Congress' guarantees

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 3 (ANI): Unveiling the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the double-engine government will make Chhattisgarh a fully-developed state over the next five years if elected to power.
Chhattisgarh will go to polls for the 90-member Assembly in two phases -- November 7 and 17.
Listing out the BJP's salient promises to the people of Chhattisgarh in the manifesto titled 'Modi ki Guarantee 2023', Shah said, "As mentioned in our manifesto, the BJP, if voted back in Chhattisgarh, will launch the Krishi Unnati Yojana, as part of which we will purchase 21 quintals/acre of paddy at the price of Rs 3,100. The amount raised from our purchase would be passed on to the farmers."
"We have also decided to give Rs 12,000 per year to all married women while filling one lakh vacant positions (in government offices) in two years. We have also resolved to build 18 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and ensure the supply of tap water to every single house in the state. We will also provide a grant of Rs 10,000 annually to landless farmers and set up 500 more Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the state," he said.
"I assure the people here that we will make Chhattisgarh a fully developed state in the coming five years if elected," Shah said after unveiling the manifesto.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Baghel, the Union Home Minister accused him of "planting fake news" in local dailies.
"They (Congress) indulged in corruption and looted people's money instead of waiving farmers' loans. They could have done a lot for the state had they not misused public money and indulged in corruption. The people voted for the Congress government on several parameters, prominent among which were reining in Naxal activities and improved law and order. It was us (Centres), instead, which addressed the security issues of the state," Shah said.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that the BJP manifesto released by Home Minister Amit Shah a few hours ago did not talk about farmers' loan waiver and Old Pension Scheme (OPS), while accusing the party of "copying" the Congress guarantees.
"They (BJP) copied Congress' guarantees. They didn't talk about (farmers') loan waiver, didn't talk about OPS, and the Central government stopped the bonus. Now will they take it back?" CM Baghel told ANI later on Friday evening.
Reacting swiftly to Amit Shah's statement of investigating the cases of alleged corruption in the state if voted to power, CM Baghel said, "They should first (arrest) Raman Singh. (Raman Singh's) Son Abhishek Singh's name is there in the Panama case...If you do selective work, people will not like it."
BJP national vice president and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that efforts have been made to satisfy every section of society in the poll manifesto released by Home Minister Amit Shah for the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.
"It is a good manifesto. Efforts have been made to satisfy every section of the society," Singh told reporters in Raipur on Friday.
The counting of votes for Chhattisgarh Assembly has been scheduled for December 3, along with those of four other poll-bound states.
Congress stormed to the hustings in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 elections, winning 68 of the 90 seats and hogging 43.9 per cent of the total votes polled.
The BJP had to be content with just 15 seats. (ANI)