Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday unveiled a "development-oriented" manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal, promising an income scheme for all families, a student credit card and constitution of a task force to examine the inclusion of several communities under the OBC category.
Claiming that her government has reduced poverty in the state by 40 per cent, the manifesto also promised to increase annual financial aid to farmers from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.
"For the first time, every family in Bengal will be extended a minimum basic income. Under this, 1.6 crore general category families will get Rs 500 a month, whereas SC/ST category families will get Rs 1,000. The money will be directly transferred to the woman head of a family," Mamata said.
A new student credit card scheme will be introduced with a credit limit of Rs 10 lakh and an interest rate of only 4 per cent will be charged, the West Bengal chief minister said.
"We will set up 10 lakh new MSMEs and 2000 new big industrial units in the next five years," she said, adding that the state is ranked number 1 in this sector, having created lakhs of jobs.
"In the MSME sector we are number 1... we have created lakhs of jobs in MSME sector... All the metro projects that we see in Bengal is all my projects.. all were sanctioned by me when I was Rail Minister," she added.
"We shall appoint a Special Task Force to examine and propose OBC status to all the communities which are not recognised as OBCs like Mahishya, Tili, Tamul and Sahas. We will also ask the Government of India to grant ST status to Mahatos," the TMC chief said a day after the BJP outreach to the ''left out'' Hindu castes in the OBC list in the state.
"We are creating a world class economy in Bengal. We want to create new jobs and a new path for the youth of Bengal... We have fallen back because of COVID-19 pandemic," added the Chief Minister, whose Trinamool Congress is seeking a third straight term in power in face of a massive BJP challenge.
A Special Development Board would be set up for the development of Terai and Dooars region in north Bengal, the CM also announced.
On Wednesday, BJP chief JP Nadda had visited the backward district of Bankura, where he said that if elected to power, the BJP would form a committee and as per the Mandal Commission''s recommendations on who are eligible, take steps "for their inclusion and bring them to the mainstream".
"Mamata Ji is indulging in the politics of appeasement to retain her chair in Bengal. It is unfortunate that because of it, people of many left out Hindu castes like ''Mahisya'' and ''Teli'' have been deprived of OBC status in Bengal. This is an injustice towards them," Nadda had said.
