From rice at `2 per kg for the poor to an ‘employment bank’ for job seekers, West Bengal’s political parties have doled out economic sops to sway voters. All parties have pledged to hasten industrial growth in an industry-starved state.
All the major parties are promising to tackle issues of poverty and unemployment and to unfold a land acquisition policy for setting up industries.
The ruling Left Front’s manifesto says the combine would improve the condition of the poor and take initiatives to increase the income of four million poorest families.
If voted back to power, the Left Front will provide rice at `2 per kg to families earning below `10,000 a month.
It has promised to bring essential commodities like pulses, edible oil, sugar and biscuits under the public distribution system (PDS).
The Trinamul Congress says its will determine the number of people living below the poverty line and within five years enforce policies to reduce the number by at least 10 per cent. The Congress promises to make the self-employment schemes of the central government more effective.
It would also focus on formulating a special job scheme for the unemployed youths who had registered their names five years ago.
The Trinamul Congress says an ‘employment bank’ will be set up to provide guidelines to those seeking jobs in government and private sectors. It has vowed to increase productivity in agriculture by adopting high-quality technology.
The party will ensure adequate price to farmers for their products while technology upgrade will be carried out in pulses and oil-seed production to attain self-sufficiency.
The Left Front states that food production will be inc-reased by 25 per cent and improved scientific technology will be used in cultivation. The Congress will take care of the interests of agriculturists and farm workers by building a marketing federation to distribute farm produce.
The Left Front, which has been in power since 1977, promises to enhance the pace of industrial growth by setting up industrial clusters of small-scale and handicraft industries and give emphasis on manufacturing, IT, petrochemical and biotech sectors.
The Trinamul Congress has said that it will set up a ‘Single Window System’ through which permission for building new industries will be given within 200 days. —IANS