Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman published the BJP manifesto for Bihar assembly polls on Thursday, promising the free Covid-19 vaccine once it has been approved by the ICMR. The move provoked a strong reaction from the opposition, which criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party for “politicizing” public health.
“The NDA government in Bihar has set an example for the country in the fight against corona. We are determined that once the ICMR has approved the coronavirus vaccine, we will make it available to the people of Bihar at no cost. any”. “said the manifesto. The promise was at the top of the BJP election document.
The announcement drew strong criticism from the opposition and Chhattisgarh Prime Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP of politicizing public health. He also said the promise of the survey implies that citizens of states where elections are not held will have to pay for the vaccine.
“The NDA manifesto says a free vaccine for Biharis. This is a promise from the survey that BJP and JDU did. Note: A Manifesto is a list of promises that will be kept If the government comes to power, then they are politicizing health of citizens with #EleccionismoVaccino “Baghel tweeted. “With this promise from the poll @ bjp4india has implied that citizens of other non-electoral states will have to pay for the vaccine,” the prime minister said in another tweet.
Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo also criticized the BJP for its electoral promise and demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) take notice of the matter. “The free vaccine against Covid is a right of all citizens of my country. Surprised to see this as a poll promise from BJP in Bihar,” the minister tweeted.
Shiv Sena Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi asked: “Shouldn’t the Covid-19 vaccine be part of the Universal Immunization Program? Will vaccines be decided on the basis of states running for elections, BJP, ungoverned states by BJP? The humanitarian crisis is highly immoral and unethical. “
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the vaccine should be free for the entire country and not just for Bihar.
With the slogan “BJP hai to bharosa hai”, the party relied heavily on the trust that Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed among the masses by virtue of pro-people measures such as the Jan Dhan plan and the Ujjwala Yojana .
“Bihar is a politically sensitive state. People here cannot be fooled by empty promises. The claims made by the parties are likely to be compared to their previous record. This is where the BJP scores,” Sitharaman said at a press conference where he released the manifest. “We are confident that we can deliver on our promises. In the last six years, all the programs announced by the Prime Minister have been implemented, be it electrification of villages, gas cylinders for poor women or financial inclusion of all citizens by achieving accounts opened in his name at banks ”, he stated.
Speaking about the coronavirus vaccine, the minister said that India has reached a point where it is about to produce three vaccines after different stages of testing. “When we get to the stage where scientists authorize large-scale production of the vaccine, we will make it available to the people of Bihar at no cost,” he said.
The highlights of the party’s vision document, shown through a power point presentation, include the recruitment of three lakhs of teachers from primary, secondary and higher education institutions. The party also proposed turning the state, which has so far largely stayed on the sidelines of the information technology boom, into an IT hub that offers the promise of five lakhs of jobs in the sector.
The manifesto also said that a large number of people will be provided with employment in the health sector, which is undergoing a major makeover through projects such as AIIMS in Darbhanga. Other attractive promises include self-reliance for one crore women through microfinance, pucca houses for 30 lakh people, and a boost to fishing that makes Bihar number one in the sector.
He also promised a new boost to the dairy sector with the establishment of 15 milk processing units. A boost to the production of maize, fruits, vegetables, betel leaves, honey and makhana, etc. has been promised, and a conglomerate of 1,000 agricultural producer organizations has also been proposed to facilitate this.
Yet another promise made in the manifesto that is likely to find resonance with students is the introduction of Hindi as a medium of instruction for courses in medicine, engineering, and other technical courses. “Our promises are backed by credibility. Compare the situation in Bihar between 1990 and 2005 (when the RJD was in power) with the changes that occurred after we took power. You will get a clear picture,” said Sitharaman.
“During the NDA rule, the state’s growth rate in the industrial sector has been 17 percent. In contrast, we cannot find the figures for the previous 15 years, apparently because industries were never on the government’s radar. previous”. he remarked with a smile.
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