After dodging questions on the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the BJP on Sunday announced in its manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly elections that the decision of implementing the CAA will be taken in its first Cabinet meeting when it forms government in the state.
The manifesto called ‘Sonar Bangla Sankalpa Patra’, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, also stated that the CAA will be implemented to “regularise” the citizenship of refugees.
“We will implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the first cabinet meeting in order to regularise the citizenship of our refugee brothers and sisters,” said the manifesto.
Several schemes were announced for the refugees under the CAA in the manifesto. It stated that a corpus of Rs 100 crore will be set up for the welfare of refugees who will get citizenship under the CAA.
The BJP also promised direct benefit transfer of Rs 10,000 per year for each refugee family for five years after they are granted citizenship.
The manifesto further stated that a system of “single window clearance” will be set up for refugees to get important documents such as the Aadhaar card, Ration card and Voter Identity card. The refugees granted citizenship under the CAA will also be provided with “subsidised loans to start their own business” and scholarships to school and college students among them.
Seeking to woo the Matua community (Dalit Hindus who came to West Bengal from the erstwhile East Pakistan in large numbers after partition), the BJP promised a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to Matua Dalapatis leaders. It also promised to set up a “special fund for refugee colonies” in Jadavpur, Thakurnagar and Cooch Behar in West Bengal along with a provision for basic amenities such as electricity, sanitation and water to refugee colonies.
The manifesto stated that after BJP is voted to power in Bengal, the State Government will collaborate with the Centre to control “border infiltration and trafficking” by constructing fences, outposts and CCTV surveillance infrastructure.
“We will constitute the following task forces to curb the problem of arms racketeering, unchecked narcotics trade, land grabbing, fake currency circulation and cattle smuggling,” stated the manifesto. The BJP promised to set up a “Go Suraksha Task Force” to check the sale and illegal smuggling of cows across the border.
It also promised to implement the Central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and OM Kisan Samman Nidhi in Bengal.