Punjab polls: AAP promises meals at Rs5, low power tariff, no property tax

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday released a populist manifesto for Punjab, promising laptop for all government school students, waiver on residential property tax, setting up of an NRI board, 33% reservation for woman in government jobs and giving the state a Dalit deputy chief minister if it comes to power.

The manifesto, on the lines of the party’s promise in Delhi in 2015, also says the AAP government will set up Aam Aadmi canteens at sub-division and district levels where one time meal will be available for Rs5, and reduce the power tariff to half for usages up to 400 unit.

A team of AAP leaders led by Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh released the manifesto in Chandigarh, which also promises that Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib will be declared as holy cities.

Singh, who is national general secretary of AAP, said all promises made by them in the previous six manifestos released for different categories “are an agreement with the people of Punjab and AAP will fulfil each promise”.

He said welfare of the Dalits, BPL families, employees, farmers and women would be top on agenda of the AAP government as he declared the post of deputy chief minister would be given to a Dalit MLA.

It said it has also decided to launch a health insurance scheme under which every resident of state would be eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs5 lakhs in private hospitals.

The party also announced that alleged mafia in transport, liquor and sand mining would be demolished and these sectors would be opened for general public. “The passenger buses would be run by public transport and permits will be given to the unemployed youth. Similarly, the monopoly in liquor and sand mining would be broken and contracts would be given to youth,” AAP said.

The party the measure would help AAP achieve its target of creating 25 lakh new jobs in the state. AAP alleged the previous government had failed to address the problems NRIs face.

“AAP will set up an NRI board and properties of NRIs grabbed illegally by SAD and Congress leaders will be evacuated within 15 days with certain exceptions due to court cases,” it said. “The DCs and SSPs would be directly responsible in case of any incidents of land grabbing of NRIs,” AAP said.

AAP said Jan Lok Pal and Human Right Commission would be given more teeth to provide corruption-free government and also to uphold the human rights.