Special Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: It’s raining freebies in the State in the run up to the polls and salt and dal were the latest additions to the list. The Baratiya Janata Party on Monday said that if voted to power in the State it would provide rice at Rs. 1 per kg to all below poverty line families and salt for free.

The manifesto was released at a press conference by the BJP’s national general secretary Arun Jaitley in the presence of a number of senior leaders of the State unit of the party.

- Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

BJP leader Arun Jaitley flanked by Suresh Pujari (3rd from left), State president and other leaders releasing election manifesto in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The BJP went one step ahead of the Biju Janata Dal as the BPL families were already getting 25 kg of rice at the rate of Rs. 2 per kg.

As the manifesto was silent about the quantity of rice that the party assured to provide to the BPL families per month, in reply to a query Mr. Jaitley said they would provide about 25 kg.

In fact, the party did not stop with rice at Rs. 1 per kg and free salt. It also promised to provide dal at Rs. 5 per kg to the BPL families.

Insurance

Among other things, the BJP promised not to charge any money for supply for electricity for agriculture purpose.

The party promised in its manifesto to provide Rs. 250 bonus to the farmers on the common minimum price (CMP) of paddy, and insurance for both farmers and crops. In an attempt to woo the farmers, the party said that it would not charge any interest on agricultural loans in the first year, one per cent in the second year, two per cent in the third year and three per cent in the fourth year. It further assured to establish five medical colleges in the State during the next five years, and issue identity cards to 30 lakh labourers.