NDA promises free education for poor, 1 crore jobs & major infrastructure boost

Patna: The NDA on Friday released its manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections, focusing on youth, women, industries, infrastructure, farmers and extremely backward castes (EBCs).

It promises free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level for the poor and outlines plans to transform Bihar into an industrial and educational hub.The manifesto, jointly released by CM Nitish Kumar, Union minister and BJP national president J P Nadda, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, contains 25 key points.Among the major promises are over one crore jobs and employment opportunities, mega skill centres in every district and monthly financial assistance of Rs2,000 to SC students pursuing higher education. The manifesto also pledges financial aid of up to Rs10 lakh to EBC youths for self-employment. A commission under a retired Supreme Court judge will be set up to assess the EBCs’ socio-economic status and recommend measures for their uplift.

Under the ‘Industrial Mission for Growing Bihar’ plan, the NDA envisions an industrial revolution with an investment of Rs1 lakh crore. BJP leader and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said, “We will set up Defence Corridor, semiconductor manufacturing park, global capability centres, mega tech city, FinTech city and establish 100 MSME parks besides 50,000+ cottage enterprises to promote ‘Vocal for Local’.

”He added, “We will build world-class medical institutions, complete construction of approved medical colleges in every district, set up modern super-specialty hospitals dedicated to children and autism and a dedicated ‘centre of excellence’ for identified priority sportspersons in every division.”To make Bihar a “new-age economy”, Choudhary said, “State-of-the-art manufacturing units and 10 new industrial parks will be developed to position Bihar as a new-age economy by attracting investments of Rs50 lakh crore and creating a ‘global back-end hub’ and a ‘global workplace’ over the next five years.”Outlining measures for women’s empowerment, Choudhary said the NDA govt would launch ‘Mission Crorepati’ to make one crore ‘lakhpati didis’ and provide financial help of up to Rs2 lakh to Jeevika didis under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. The govt has already transferred Rs10,000 each to more than 1.21 crore women beneficiaries, he added.In the agriculture sector, the NDA promises to double output and make the state self-sufficient in pulse production by 2030.

“We will set up five mega food parks, develop Bihar as a global export centre for makhana, fish, and other products, and transform Mithila into a mega textile and design park and ‘Anga’ into a mega silk park,” Choudhary said. Farmers will receive Rs3,000 annually under the new Karpoori Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi, in addition to the Centre’s Rs6,000.

The govt also pledged Rs1 lakh crore investment in agricultural infrastructure and guaranteed MSP for paddy, wheat, pulses and maize.To benefit fishermen, the NDA will launch a ‘Fish-Milk Mission’, offering Rs9,000 per beneficiary under the Matsya Palak Yojana. “Chilling and processing centres will be set up at the block level under ‘Milk Mission’ to boost milk production,” Choudhary said.On infrastructure, the manifesto promises seven expressways, modernisation of 3,600km of railway track, metro rail in four new cities, a Greenfield city in New Patna, and satellite townships near major cities. It also proposes developing ‘Sitapuram’ near the birthplace of Mata Sita in Sitamarhi. Aviation infrastructure will see an international airport near Patna and new airports in Darbhanga, Purnia, and Bhagalpur, alongside domestic flights from 10 additional cities.Under its ‘Panchamrit’ programme, the NDA has pledged five million new pucca houses, 125 units of free electricity, continued free ration, and free medical treatment up to Rs5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat.