The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday promised three free gas cylinders a year to domestic consumers in Goa, resumption of mining within six months of the February 14 assembly elections in its pre-poll manifesto which was released at the hands of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
The manifesto also underlines the BJP’s resolve to make Goa a $50 billion economy, while also promising to turn Goa into an international football destination.
“We will provide three free LPG cylinders to every household in Goa to ease the burden on the homemakers of the state… We shall not increase the state duties on petrol and diesel for the next three years,” the manifesto states. The manifesto also states that if the party is returned to power, it would also provide good quality housing for all Goans over the next five years by providing home loans for deserving families at an interest rate of 2 per cent for women and 4 per cent for men and developing and providing residential plots.
"We are committed to our manifesto. We have completed 80 per cent of the previous manifestos and we have released the report card. I'm saying this because there are a lot of political parties which have come to Goa and are coming out with their own manifestoes. Our double engine government is committed to bringing this manifesto to fruition," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said at a media event organised in Panaji to unveil the manifesto.
The BJP is heading into the assembly polls riding, what experts believe, is a heavy anti-incumbency factor, against the BJP-led coalition regime led by Sawant.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who was present at the occasion however said that Sawant would come to power while claiming the promise made by the Congress in its manifesto to cap the price of petrol and diesel at Rs. 80 was no longer relevant at a time when vehicle engines were gearing for flex options.
"Only the BJP can give a stable government. And because of this stability of the last ten years we were able to do more development in ten years than was done in the previous 50 in Goa," the Union Minister said.
"Congress has promised to make petrol 80. In the coming days, all the engines will be flex engines that can work on both petrol or biofuel or blended fuel. Toyota and others have agreed to install flex engines. This means that making petrol 80 will have no meaning because no one will want to buy fuel," Gadkari said.
"Diesel buses will be converted to CNG through retro-fitting. It will benefit both the transporters and the environment. CNG costs Rs 40 a litre, the Congress promise is only to mislead the people. I'm happy you have promised to make Goa carbon neutral," the Union Minister further said.
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