The Bharatiya Janata Party has promised voters the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, timely disbursal of government salaries and free education for all girls in poll-bound Meghalaya.

BJP President JP Nadda on Wednesday released the party's election manifesto in Shillong for the upcoming Meghalaya assembly polls scheduled for February 27. Results will be announced on March 2.

The party announced more provisions for female students, families with a girl child and beneficiaries of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ujjwala schemes.

Sharing his vision for a "Mega Meghalaya," Nadda said that the saffron party would double the pensions for senior citizens, provide support to women and work towards holistic development in the state.

"We will make Meghalaya a peaceful, developed and prosperous state," Nadda said at the unveiling.

Here's a list of all that the BJP has promised in its manifesto for the 2023 Meghalaya assembly election:

# Implementation of the 7th Pay Commission and regular monthly salaries for all government employees.

# Free education to all female students from kindergarten to post graduation.

# Free rice, wheat and dal to all eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

# Annual assistance of Rs 24,000 to all dependent widows and single mothers.

# Around 3.5 lakh self-employment opportunities over the next five years.

# Two free LPG cylinders for all Ujjwala beneficiaries.

# A bond of Rs 50,000 on the birth of a girl child under the Ka Phan Nonglait scheme.

# An increase in the PM Kisan financial assistance of Rs 2,000 per annum from Rs 6,000 pa to Rs 8,000 pa.

# Doubled pensions for senior citizens.

# Doubling the insurance cap from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh under Ayushman Bharat

# Annual financial assistance worth Rs 3,000 to landless farmers and Rs 6,000 to fishermen.

# Establishment of a Special Economic Zone for youth empowerment along with the setup of several industrial units to provide employment opportunities.

# Establishment of a Special Task Force under a retired Supreme Court Judge to investigate all cases of corruption.

Nadda said that the three aspects that need to be managed well in Meghalaya governance are speed, scale and skill. He pointed out that while corruption had been a hindrance to the state's development, Meghalaya was trying to "cope-up with it."

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While in Shillong, the party president also addressed a public rally in the Jhalupara area on Tuesday ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly election 2023. There, he took a dig at the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Nadda tweeted, "The love for Hon. PM @narendramodi Ji in Meghalaya confirms that there is no room for the TMC in Meghalaya. In TMC, T stands for Tolabaji (extortion), M stands for Money Laundering and Mafia Raj, C stands for Corruption and Commission."

Addressing the rally, Nadda said that the Congress party, Communists and TMC are untrustworthy. Their only motive is the get power by hook or crook, Nadda alleged, accusing them of forming allies in some states while fighting in others.

He took the opportunity to also boast about the BJP's accomplishments in the state and in India, overall, claiming that the country was now a giver, not a taker.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has sent coronavirus vaccines to 100 countries, provided it for free to 48 nations. India today is not a taker but a giver," Nadda said.

Maintaining that all northeastern states have witnessed "unprecedented development" in the past eight years under the NDA government, Nadda also said that investments of Rs 9 lakh crore have been made for boosting infrastructure.

Nadda urged people to vote for BJP state president Ernest Mawrie from the West Shillong constituency. The BJP has named former militant leader Bernard Marak as its candidate against incumbent Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. The party is contesting elections in all 60 seats of the Meghalaya assembly.

Over the past week, Nadda has also released the BJP's manifesto for the Nagaland and Tripura elections. Election results for all three states are expected on March 2.

First Published:Feb 15, 2023 12:41 PM IST