What do the manifestos of AAP, BJP and INC promise for Delhi elections 2020?

With the Delhi assembly elections just around the corner, what are the key promises in the manifestos of AAP. BJP and INC? How do they compare on key issues such as education, housing, healthcare and pollution?

This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020

The Delhi Assembly elections to be held on February 8 is a three way contest between the INC, BJP and AAP. All three parties have released detailed manifestos outlining their policies and plans on key issues that impact the daily lives of Delhiites. Here is a handy comparison of the stance taken by the three parties on various subjects. 

Click here for the complete manifestos: AAP, BJP, INC

AAP BJP INC
Education
World class education facility to be made available for every child

Building on the successes of Happiness Curriculum and Entrepreneurship Curriculum introduced in Delhi government schools, Deshbhakti Curriculum will be introduced.

Click here for education report card of the incumbent government 

Ensuring best educational opportunities for children, the education budget will be increased by 10% every year.

10 new colleges and 200 new schools will be started in Delhi

Subsidised education for all students living in Notified Slums and all Resettlement Colonies until Class 12, in both public and private schools.
Youth
Introduction of spoken English, soft skills and personality development classes for students who have completed their schooling from any Delhi school, government or private, in the last 5 years, to raise their employment opportunities and income potential. Establishment of a ‘Youth Welfare Board’ to promote all round development of our young population. Unemployment Allowance for graduates at Rs 5,000 per month and post-graduates at Rs 7,500 per month
Water
Continuation of existing policy of 20 kilolitres of free water per month

Click here for the water report card of the incumbent government 

Efforts towards providing clean water on tap for every household by 2024.

Revamp of Delhi Jal Board.

Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao -flagship water tariff scheme whereby a cash back will be provided to households conserving water at Rs 0.30/litre saved
Housing
Ensure all of Delhi’s unauthorised colonies get regularized and home owners get proper registries for their houses Proper development of such colonies and will constitute a dedicated ‘Colonies Development Board’ for this purpose. Regularisation of all unauthorized colonies with an allocation Rs 35,000 crores in five years for the much-needed upliftment of these colonies.
Electricity
Continuation of existing policy of 200 units of free electricity per month

Click here for electricity report card of the incumbent government 

Setting up of smart electricity grid

Incentivisation of switch to solar power

Electricity connection for every building regardless of height and no.of floors.

Bijli Bachao, Paisa Kamao – flagship electricity tariff scheme whereby a

cash rebate will be provided to households conserving electricity at Rs. 3/unit.

Commuting
Extension of Delhi’s metro network to 500 km making it one of the world’s largest metro networks and will connect several new areas such as Burari, Kirari, Bijwasan, Narela, Karawal Nagar, Mangolpuri and others

Transport system with over 11000 buses

Procurement of 10,000 new green buses

Completion of pending metro works

Single smart card for all public transport

Procurement of 15,000 electric

buses and building of necessary infrastructure

Women
Initiatives to connect housewives with job and business opportunities from or near their homes so that they can contribute to their household income as well as to Delhi’s and nation’s economic development. Women shall be provided access to cheap capital and requisite skills

Appointment of Mohalla marshalls for women’s safety

Dedicated efforts and adequate resources for safety and security of women through the “Rani Laxmibai Mahila Suraksha Yojana”

Special corpus for providing financial assistance to meritorious young women who wish to pursue higher education.

Free bicycles and e-scooter for girls and women in schools and colleges

Free education to girls in government schools, colleges, universities, from Nursery to PHD.

Subsidised public transport

Return of 181 women’s safety helpline

Pollution
Planting of 2 crore trees

Reduction of pollution to 1/3rd of current levels

Cleaning and rejuvenation of Yamuna

All necessary efforts, in coordination with the Central Government, to control air pollution and improve the quality of air in Delhi

Comprehensive strategy to fight air, water and noise pollution

Increase in green cover by 30%

Increased budgetary allocation to fight pollution

Institute dust management plan

Anti-Corruption Efforts
Fight for the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed by the Central government. Implementation of Lokpal a priority in Delhi Strong Lokpal in the first 6 months of election
Employment
(No mention of job creation or start-ups in manifesto) Provision of employment opportunities to at least 10 lakh youth in the next five years

A Rs. 1,000 crore ‘Startup and Innovation Fund’ to be set up and a long-term Startup Policy and establishment of Incubation Centres and Co-working Spaces

A “Yaari startup incubation fund” which is a Rs 5,000 Cr corpus to incentivize young entrepreneurs
Senior Citizens
10 lakh senior citizens in Delhi to be taken for Teerth Yatras over the next 5 years Increase the pension amounts for senior citizens Launch of Sheila Pension Yojana under which of Rs 5,000 per month to all senior citizens without any source of income
Healthcare
Holistic healthcare for all through Mohalla clinics and state-of-the-art-

Hospitals

Click here for the healthcare report card of the incumbent government 

Implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme across Delhi

Setting up of 400 health & wellness clinics

Addition of 5000 maternity beds, building of five super speciality hospitals in the next five years

Appointment of Swastya Mitras to assist govt. scheme beneficiaries in hospitals

Other action items of the AAP manifesto are as follows:

  • Delhi Government had approved the formation of 2,972 Mohalla Sabhas in 70 Assembly constituencies across the city in June 2016 as the first step in devolution of power to the people and making them direct participants in solving day-to-day issues affecting their quality of life. We will pursue with the Centre to bring in a strong Delhi Swaraj Bill that will formalize the roles and responsibilities of Mohalla Sabhas and ensure adequate funds and functions in the hands of the community. 
  • We will introduce doorstep delivery of ration as a revolutionary initiative to ensure dignity, transparency and accountability in supply of food ration and ensure food security for all. 
  • Along with reviving the Yamuna river, we will work together with the Central government to develop a beautiful riverside along the banks of Yamuna. This will play a big role in maintaining the Yamuna Eco-System and in creating a new tourist destination for Delhi. 
  • Well-designed, beautifully landscaped and safe roads that cater to the needs of all its users are essential features of a world class city. Delhi’s roads will be redesigned on these lines starting with a pilot of 40 km of roads within a year. 
  • Making Delhi’s streets clean isn’t possible without adequate number of Safai Karmacharis. We will ensure new appointments of Safai Karmacharis as per the 2011 census of Delhi’s population and taking into account the rapid expansion of residential colonies in Delhi. 
  • Safai Karmacharis play the most important role in keeping the city clean. We salute their contribution and shall award a compensation of Rs 1 Crore to families of all those Safai Karamcharis who die while performing duty. 
  • We shall continue providing a free and fair business environment without raid raj to all businesses in Delhi like in the past five years. We will work closely with the trade and business community with a spirit of trust and collaboration to strengthen Delhi’s economy. 
  • We will continue to take all legal and administrative measures to put pressure on the Central government, DDA and MCD to not allow sealing of industries/shops and ensure that the sealed shops are opened. 
  • We will allocate adequate funds for infrastructure development and upgradation of market and industrial areas. 
  • We will carry out a comprehensive review and rationalization of circle rates across Delhi with actual market prices so that it protects the interests of the property owners. 
  • We will establish 24×7 markets on a pilot basis in key commercial areas where shops, restaurants etc. can remain open round the clock. This will make Delhi a bustling, 24×7 hospitable city and also contribute to tourism and overall economy. 
  • We shall bring out an amnesty scheme to dispose off old VAT cases that have been pending since 2017 or earlier. 
  • We shall pursue the Central government to ensure full ownership rights with freehold status for residents of resettlement colonies. 
  • The current requirement of having an address proof of Delhi from or before 1993 for being eligible for an OBC certificate is retrograde. We will pursue the Central government to replace this with the requirement of an address proof in Delhi for the past 5 years. 
  • We shall pursue with the Central government for Bhojpuri language to be included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.  
  • We will ensure that the findings of the Supreme Court appointed SIT under Justice SN Dhingra are acted upon promptly and the victims of the 1984 Anti-Sikh genocide get justice. 
  • We will ensure all contractual employees employed with the Delhi government are made permanent. 
  • We shall pursue with the Central government to amend Sections 33 and 81 of the Delhi Land Reform Act to remove the unjust restrictions on farmers’ rights on their land and so that they can use it as per their wishes. 
  • We will continue providing the highest compensation in the country of Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers who suffer from crop loss.  
  • Delhi will become the first state in India to give legal protection to street vendors and hawkers. We will issue the certificate of vending within 6 months and set up international quality kiosks to prevent the harassment of street vendors at the hands of MCD and Delhi Police. 
  • AAP will continue to push for full statehood for Delhi within the Constitutional framework using its social, political and moral authority. Our proposal for full statehood is defined in the draft State of Delhi Bill 2016 brought out by the current AAP government. The draft bill proposes that the New Delhi area (under the jurisdiction of New Delhi Municipal Council) which is of national and international importance, and has only 3% of Delhi’s population, be kept under the ambit of Central government. The rest of the areas will transition to a full state. This will bring in overall efficiency and democratic accountability in the administration of the national capital. It will also prove to be a long-term solution for issues like MCD-led sealing, deteriorating law and order, non provision of land for building new schools, colleges, clinics, hospitals etc. 

Other action items of the BJP manifesto are as follows:

  • We are committed to provide a clean, corruption-free and transparent government to the people of Delhi and we will take all steps in this regard. 
  • 10 lakh offices and shops of traders in Delhi will be converted from leasehold to freehold on priority basis. 
  • Regulatory and approval processes will be streamlined to ensure that there are no obstacles in the functioning of over 3 lakh household industries. 
  • We will take all administrative and legal measures to ensure that the problems being faced by residents of Delhi due to the sealing drive are addressed. 
  • The important issue of NOCs for self-allotment societies will be resolved on priority. 
  • We will take all necessary steps to protect the rightful interests of Pagdi tenants in Delhi. 
  • Aata (wheat flour) will be provided to poor families at a subsidized rate of Rs. 2 per kilogram. 
  • We will implement the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana’ in Delhi and we are committed to provide pucca houses to all residents of Delhi by2022. 
  • We will initiate a “Samriddh Delhi Infrastructure Scheme” with a provision of Rs. 10,000 crore to ensure focussed and priority creation of key infrastructure like roads, flyovers, foot over bridges etc. 
  • We will start a new scheme to deposit a fixed amount in the name of the first 2 girls in every economically weak family at their birth, so that they can receive a benefit of Rs. 2 lakh when they attain the age of 21. 
  • Widows belonging to economically weaker sections will be given a gift of Rs 51,000 for the marriage of their daughter. 
  • We will establish a ‘Women Empowerment Mission Board’ to promote all round development of women and enable holistic deliberation on issues related to women. 
  • An ‘Economically Weaker Sections Commission’ will be constituted to promote development of economically weaker sections belonging to the General category. 
  • A ‘Board for Extremely Backward Classes’ will be constituted for ensuring progress of individuals belonging to extremely backward classes. 
  • Contract workers employed in government hospitals, schools and all other government bodies and institutions will be given a job guarantee till the age of 58. 
  • We will ensure an immediate survey of street vendors and Redi-patriwalas in order to regularize them and we will provide them with life insurance. 
  • An annual Samman Nidhi of Rs. 6000 will be disbursed directly into the bank accounts of farmers in Delhi. 
  • We will ensure ownership rights for land parcels granted under the 20-point programme. 
  • We will work with the Central Government to amend the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 to abolish Sections 81A and 33 to enable farmers to use their land as per their choice and address the issues in sale and purchase of the lands. 
  • Individuals engaged in occupations, like potters, barbers, blacksmiths etc., will be provided easy loans at favourable rates. 
  • A ‘Talent Hunt’ programme will be launched to identify talented students and youth and nurture their talents. 
  • Special libraries will be established in Jhuggi areas for students living in Jhuggi-Jhopdi areas. 
  • Long-pending arrears of Safai Karamcharis under the Municipal Corporations shall be cleared on priority with assistance of the Central Government. 
  • Job will be given to one child of the victims who lost earning family members during the 1984 riots. Pension given to widows who lost their husbands in the 1984 riots will be enhanced from Rs.2500to Rs. 3500 per month. 
  • Our government will formulate a policy to support Group Housing Societies for redevelopment of old flats in these societies. The FAR for these flats will be increased and a single window mechanism will be set up to provide all necessary clearances within 90 days. The same measures will be implemented for DDA flats as well. 
  • All the remaining 351 roads in Delhi, that fall under mixed land use, will be notified in order to ensure their regular maintenance. 
  • We will ensure ownership rights for residents of all Resettlement Colonies by converting their properties into freehold properties on priority basis. 
  • Over 22,000 dilapidated properties and floors in 23 colonies such as Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Daryaganj etc. will be regularised after payment of nominal damage charges and ownership rights will be given for the same by making them freehold. 
  • Employment exchanges will be upgraded and modernized to connect the youth to employment opportunities and they will be made more effective than placement agencies. 
  • We will provide capital subsidy as well as interest subsidy for women who are starting up businesses for the first time. 
  • To foster innovation and scientific temper among children, we will establish 1,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools in Delhi with the help of the Central Government. 
  • We will establish ‘Vishwakarma Kaushal Vikas Vishwavidyalaya’ for imparting cutting-edge skill development courses and ready the youth for the future. We will ensure 100% employment for graduates of this university. 
  • We will frame a new Sports Policy to promote and nurture sporting talent which will be in line with Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives of ‘Fit India’ and ‘Khelo India’. 
  • We are committed to make Delhi a services hub of international standing to ensure rapid economic development. In line with this goal, we will initiate a new scheme on priority to bring prosperity and increase employment through development of the services sector and special attention will be given to education, health, tourism, retail, medical tourism and fashion-lifestyle services. 
  • To make Delhi a centre of research and manufacturing of new and innovative energy technologies, a Green Industry Corridor will be set up for green energy technology companies. 
  • To ensure that Delhi develops rapidly, we will make all efforts to ensure perfect synergy between the Central Government, State Government and the municipal corporations. We are committed to create new opportunities of multi-dimensional progress for the people of Delhi while following the principle of ‘Co-operative Federalism’.
  • We are committed to ensuring piped supply of cooking gas for households. 
  • Over 52,000 houses built in the industrial areas for labourers and people belonging to the lower income group will be allotted on a priority basis. 
  • There are many areas in Delhi which have been neglected and remain underdeveloped under successive Delhi governments. A special scheme will be formulated for the rapid development of these aspirational areas. 
  • In order to ensure adequate and affordable accommodation for working women, the number of working women’s hostels will be increased. 
  • A Traders Board will be set up for the welfare of traders and small businessmen. The Board will also facilitate single window mechanisms for approvals and licenses. 
  • A massive exercise shall be undertaken on priority to convert all overhead and hanging electric cables to underground cables across Delhi. 
  • All existing street light poles will be converted to Smart Poles. 
  • All vacant posts in government departments and subordinate offices will be filled up within the first year, thereby creating more employment opportunities and paving the way for the promotion of existing employees. 
  • A scheme will be formulated to encourage and provide financial assistance for manual cycle rickshaw pullers to switch to e- Rickshaws. 
  • The sharp increase in drug addiction amongst Delhi’s youth is a cause of concern. To end this menace completely, we will launch a comprehensive scheme and execute it as a Jan Andolan. 
  • We will strengthen the role of RWAs in planning, execution and maintenance at a local level. We will improve the coordination between the government and RWAs and provide special funds for this work. 

Other action items of the INC manifesto are as follows:

  • The concept of Bhagidari would be followed as each policy would be implemented in full cooperation with stakeholders and people.
  • Due to the high prices of Industrial/Commercial electricity, industries and commercial establishments are moving out of Delhi, thereby resulting in massive unemployment. INC shall provide the industrial power tariff rate at Rs 6/unit, as done by the INC Government in Punjab, and this will be inclusive of all taxes and surcharges, to get non-polluting industries back in Delhi. 
  • INC shall charge domestic power charges to those professional activities (such as Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, Media Professionals, Architects etc.) as defined in Chapter 15 of the Delhi Master Plan in relation to “mixed-land use”, that are permitted in residential areas. 
  • INC will encourage research by setting up a Chief Minister’s Corpus, under which we will set up a “Homi Bhabha Research Fund”. In five years, the INC will allocate Rs 1,000 crores to this corpus.
  • AAP completely demolished the DTC fleet. Congress will immediately procure 15,000 electric buses and build the necessary infrastructure; all existing depots will be converted to 3-level depots.  
  • INC will provide coaching fees for students belonging to EWS families in reputed and identified tuition centres for Exams. 
  • INC will ensure that all seepages, leakages, and pilferages in the water supply system and the water tank mafia so that Delhi gets 24-hour water supply. 
  • INC will ensure that the Metro fares are within reach of common people. INC will ensure that fares for women, students and senior citizens are subsidized, so that there is a transition from private transport to public. For students, a subsidy of ?300 per month for travelling in the metro and buses through DBT. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) submitted the detailed project report for Phase IV in 2014 but work started only on 31 December 2019. During the INC’s time the central and state government together ensured that all Delhi Metro work was completed ahead of time. INC will ensure that there is no delay since this project is of great importance for Delhi. 
  • INC will enact a law to require the State Government to transparently disclose, in their budget documents, the allocations to SCs and STs under the Special Component Plan for SCs and Tribal Sub-Plan for STs and to prohibit diversion of such funds. 
  • INC will ensure that special courts to try offences under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 are appropriately established, as per provisions of the law.
  • All temporary and ad hoc safai karamcharis will be made permanent.
  • INC will ensure that the Ladli Scheme attains the same glory and importance as during the INC regime.
  • INC will ensure Free Health checkup for all women, once a year. 
  • INC will ensure ‘Awaz Uthao Programme’’ will be revived. Gender Sensitization Curriculum will be put back in the curriculum. ‘Gender Resource Centres’ would be revived. 
  • Entirely managed and run by women staff, INC shall open 100 ndira Canteens in Delhi on the lines of ones started in Karnataka by the INC. They will offer fresh and nutritious meals at a subsidized rate of Rs 15. 
  • INC will ensure each family living, including tenants and owners in JJ clusters gets a flat of 350sq feet at the same place of their slums through In-situ rehabilitation on the lines of the INC initiated projects in Kathputli Colony, Kalkaji, Jailerwala Bagh etc.
  • The INC will renew focus on the Trans-Jamuna Development Board, Rural Delhi Development Board, and we will create Resettlement Colonies Development board and Shahjahanabad Development Board (to work in close coordination with Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation). Every year, Rs 1,000 crore will be provided to these Boards for their smooth functioning. 
  • 5 Lakh needy families to get Rs 72,000 per year. 
  • INC will restore the distribution of sugar in the PDS list. INC Government will provide 3 kg dal at Rs 25 per kg and 1 litre edible oil at Rs 20 to each BPL family every month. We will also double the allocation of wheat and rice being provided under the Food Security Act. 
  • As per Street Vendors Act passed by UPA Government, to prevent exploitation and harassment of street vendors, we will ensure 5 lakh vending machines at the earliest, and no street vendor shall be uprooted before this exercise is conducted, as per the provisions of the Act. 
  • INC will establish ‘Labour Addas’ near existing chowks and patli mazdoors. and develop such spaces with basic facilities like shed, drinking water, seating, and toilets. These will also include ‘Labour Registration Centres’ for providing labourers assistance in social security schemes. Provision for new and existing labour addas 03 should be made in the upcoming master plan. These spaces will also act as linkages with skill development centres. 
  • INC shall ensure provision of Micro Soya Milk plants at creches, temporary construction sites and other such places where EWS lactating mothers and children up to the age of 4 shall be provided with up to 350ml of soya milk. 
  • With the advent of taxi services like Ola, Uber etc. legally plying three-wheelers and e-rickshaw owners are facing difficulty repaying loans. To address this difficulty, the INC, as a one-time gesture, will grant subsidy to the owners of such vehicles, so that they can pay instalments of pending loans.  
  • INC will provide a “panic button” for the safety of differently-abled and senior citizens living alone, to ensure emergency help and ambulance services are accessible whenever required. 
  • The INC will ensure that Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme centres are reopened for children below 4 years. We will aim to increase the number to 140 centres all over Delhi. 
  • To encourage the linguistic minorities, INC will ensure all vacancies of language teachers (Urdu, Gurmukhi, Bhojpuri and such) will be filled within 100 days. 
  • INC promises to commission an accessibility audit of Delhi. INC will ensure that all spaces are friendly to the needs of the people with disabilities, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. 
  • Since the present formula of calculating the gift deed is based on certain percentage of circle rate which leads to high charges, INC will ensure that the gift deed in family to transfer agricultural land will be charged at Rs 10,000 per acre. 
  • INC promises 24X7 uninterrupted and free Power to all Delhi Farmers, along the lines of the free power supplied to farmers by INC in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. 
  • To open school playgrounds for neighbourhood children. Private schools have been given playground spaces at nominal charge of XM- per acre per year. These playgrounds lie unused during the non-schooling hours and the children living around the school in neighbourhood, for want of open space, are confined within the four walls of their homes. Under the 
  • INC will make it mandatory for private schools to open the school playground during after school hours for the neighbourhood children. In order to ensure safety, it will be mandatory for the recognised RWAs to verify and certify such beneficiaries. 
  • Sports Bill in Delhi -‘Take Politics Out of Sports’ – INC shall enact a sports law in Delhi to ensure that all state sports bodies come under the ambit of RTI and ensure a fixed tenure for the officer bearers of sports bodies in Delhi. At least 50% of office bearers will be sportspersons and coaches in that particular sport, and there will be an age limit of 70 years. No elected representative or serving government official will be eligible to be an office bearer. 
  • INC will establish a new Arts University. It will consist of a revitalized Delhi College of Art, a newly established College of Performing Arts and Culture, and Institute of Cultural Management.
  • By 21st February, 2020, INC Government will go to the Apex Court and challenge the constitutional validity of CAA under Article 131. In the very first Assembly Session, the INC shall pass a resolution in the Delhi Assembly demanding the Centre to drop the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) brought by the BJP. This Citizenship Amendment Act is against the basic spirit of our Constitution.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Civic participation essential for effective BMC budget, say experts

In absence of elected representatives, holding the BMC accountable for planning and implementation of the budget is crucial.

A month after the BMC announced its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, experts called for greater citizen participation in the planning and implementation of the budget. Not only is the BMC the richest civic body in the country, but also this year they have announced the highest budget ever at nearly Rs. 60,000 crore. Secondly, elections have not taken place after the term of the previous elected officials ended in March 2022. The Municipal Commissioner, appointed as the administrator, has been at the helm of the civic body's functioning for two years now. The corporation was put under an administrator…

Similar Story

Controversies around Kilambakkam bus terminus: Here is what CMDA says

We spoke with CMDA about the lack of clarity on the operations of Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus in Chennai. Here are all your questions answered.

The Kilambakkam bus terminus has been marred by controversies ever since it opened to the public. Why was the terminus opened in such a hurry? Why did the CMDA award the contract for Operation and Maintenance to a single concessionaire? What is going to come up at the location of Koyambedu bus stand? Chennai residents are looking for answers to all these questions. To get a clear picture about the operations of the new terminus and put all controversies to rest, we spoke with CMDA Member Secretary, Anshul Mishra. Here is what the CMDA has to say about the issues.…