Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled BJP’s election manifesto for West Bengal elections as “Sonar Bangla Sankalpa Patra” at EZCC in Salt Lake on Sunday. The BJP in its manifesto promising to build a “Sonar Bangla” by providing employment, strengthening social security schemes and vowing to clear the implementation of the CAA in the first cabinet meeting of the new Government.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that BJP will ensure the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Healthcare scheme and the PM Kisan programme in the state, besides giving at least one job per family. Assuring to provide arrears of ₹ 18,000 to 75 lakh farmers of the state under PM-Kisan, the BJP promised ₹ 10,000 per year for them, if voted to power, with ₹ 6,000 being contributed by the centre and the rest by the state. The BJP also announced a ₹ 5,000 crore intervention fund to assure farmers’ economic security, besides accidental insurance worth ₹ 3 lakh for small farmers and fishermen.

In the manifesto, the BJP promised a Sonar Bangla fund worth ₹ 11,000 crore to promote art, literature and other such sectors, and a Tagore Prize on the lines of the Nobel Prize. The BJP also promised seventh pay commission implementation for state government employees and 30 per cent reservation for women in state government jobs.  Promising to act tough on infiltration, the BJP promised “strictest border security”. The party also promised free KG to PG education for all women and free travel for them in public transport.

It promised to build new AIIMS in North Bengal, Jungle Mahal and Sunderbans regions, besides toilets and clean drinking water for every family. He said that when the BJP forms the Government in West Bengal, people would not have to go to court for organising Durga Puja and Saraswathi Puja.

In the poll manifesto, the party also promised a ₹ 20,000 crore Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Fund for the infrastructure development of schools, and five universities at par with IITs and IIMs. BJP said that to transform Kolkata into an international city, it will set up a Kolkata Development Fund worth ₹ 22,000 crore and also ensure that the metropolis becomes a UNESCO Heritage City. The party further promised that every refugee family will be given ₹ 10,000 per year for five years through direct benefit transfer (DBT).