BJP releases its manifesto for SMC

Shimla, May 12 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh unit of the BJP today released its manifesto for the May 23 Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections, promising to rehabilitate people rendered homeless after the corporation demolished their huts in the forest areas of the town.

''The party will initiate steps to rehabilitate people rendered homeless due to the demolition of their huts by the corporation following a directive by the state high courts that termed these as illegal,'' party's state president Jai Ram Thakur today said at the press conference here.

He said the BJP would rehabilitate all people on priority, if the party won the corporation elections besides increasing the capital allowance of state employees to Rs 300 from the present Rs 175.

The party would also take immediate steps to rid the town of the drinking water scarcity, construction of parking lots in various parts of the town and proper maintenance of the roads of the town, he said.

Mr Thakur said the Congress, despite remaining in power in the corporation for a long period, had failed in improving its basic infrastructure.

Referring to drinking water scarcity in the town, he accused the Congress Government of not implementing any scheme during its long term in the office.

It was only the BJP that decided to pump water from the Ashwani Khad to meet the drinking water needs of the town, he said, while criticising the Congress for failing to implement any water supply scheme.

Even the construction of parking lots in the town was initiated under the previous BJP government, which created lots for parking over 3,000 vehicles, he said.

The BJP president said the then government had released a sum of Rs 32 crore to the corporation to clear its dues.

Referring to the works to be undertaken in the town under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JLNURM), he said the party had already enumerated this in its Vision 2020.

He said, if voted to power, the party would change the face of the town.

MP Suresh Chandel, party's general secretary Khushi Ram Balnahata and several other party leaders were also present on the occasion.

UNI