Shillong, Feb 15: The BJP on Wednesday promised in its manifesto to implement the 7th pay commission in the state despite Meghalaya currently implementing the 5th pay commission.

The party’s vision document entitled ‘Empower Meghalaya’ released by BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda also assured to establish a ‘special task force’ to be headed by a retired Supreme Court to investigate all cases of corruption in Meghalaya and a task force to check illegal mining in the state.

The document also seeks to empower women by providing a 33% reservation for women in all government jobs besides establishing the Phan Nonglait Battalion, the state’s first all-women police battalion and free scooties to all meritorious college-going female students.

Addressing the occasion, Nadda said, “We have decided in our manifesto to implement the 7th Pay commission in Meghalaya and the salaries of the employees will be disbursed in time so that the machinery is well greased and in the best possible manner they are able to work.”

Stating that there is a competition which has started taking place among the NE states for development, he said, “Meghalaya is also trying to see to it to cope up with it but here the corruption has been an issue which has been a hindrance as far as development is concerned.”

Nadda said the BJP has decided to establish a special task force under a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate all cases of corruption in the state. “We will also constitute a task force to check illegal mining in the state,” he said while assuring to start scientific mining of coal once the party is voted to power.

The BJP chief further assured that his party will resolve the Meghalaya-Assam border issue in collaboration with the central government besides establishing permanent outposts to promote safety, security and rule of law.

“We believe in dialogue. It is not Bharat and Pakistan, it is Assam and Meghalaya. So through dialogue we will try to see to it and with the support of the central government we will resolve all border issues and permanent outposts will be established,” he said.

Assuring health for all, Nadda also announced the party’s decision to double the per-family annual insurance cap to Rs 10 lakhs under the Ayushman Bharat.

“We will initiate the Meghalaya Health Insurance Mission with an investment of Rs 2500 crore for the development of medical colleges and other health infrastructure in the state,” the document said while adding that all vacancies for doctors, nurses, lab technicians and paramedical staff will be filled up on priority.

Nadda further said that the BJP also seeks to empower the youth of the state by establishing an empowered Meghalaya Combined Recruitment Commission to expedite filling of vacancies across various departments.

“We will provide skill training and create 3.5 lakh self-employment opportunities by setting up two new SEZs, Industrial Units, one additional IT Park, banking and hospitality industries over the next 5 years,” he said.

He added that the party would also introduce the Karnesh Marak Youth Support scheme to provide monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to unemployed graduates for a period of 1 year to help them prepare for higher education or government jobs.

The BJP also promised to introduce a Silverine Swer Academic Excellence Scheme to provide meritorious students of class 12th with a smartphone.

Urging the people of Meghalaya to give BJP a chance, Nadda said, “We are a party which means delivery, which means serious about our manifesto. It is not just a document which we read once and forget it and after next 5 years we come out with another fresh document. We don’t do like that.”

He assured that the vision document will be made an official document of governance and it is the government responsibility to implement it in letter and spirit.

In order to empower the farmers, the BJP said it will increase the annual financial assistance under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme from the current Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 per annum and provide financial assistance of Rs 3,000 per annum under the Chief Minister’s Landless Farmer Scheme to all landless farmers.

The party said it will also launch the Agri-Infrastructure Mission with an investment of Rs 500 crore to develop a holistic agri-infrastructure of collection and primary processing centres and launch a Meghalaya White Revolution Project with a fund of Rs 250 crore to make Meghalaya self-reliant in milk products by 2026 besides extending financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per annum to all fishermen under the Fishermen Income Support Scheme.

To further empower the girl child and women folks in matrilineal Meghalaya, the BJP assured to introduce the Ka Phan Nonglait scheme for providing a bond of Rs 50,000 on the birth of a girl child, free-of-cost quality education to all female students from KG to PG and launch the Jugi Rani Jugi Silchi Support Scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs 24,000 annually to all dependent widows and single mothers besides providing 2 free LPG cylinders to all the beneficiaries of the PM Ujjwala Yojana.

Promoting inclusive development, the BJP also promised to provide free rice, wheat and dal to all eligible PDS beneficiaries every month and establish Koch, Hajong and Rabha development boards to ensure holistic development of these communities.

“We will establish Sanja Manda Sangma canteens providing locally made nutritious meals for only Rs 5 per place and we will double the pension for senior citizens to Rs 1,000 per month and ensure there are no delays in their disbursements. We will establish Tirot Sing Bhavans as urban shelters for unorganized workers with facilities like workmen night shelters, taxi parking, cafeterias and leisure spaces,” it said.

The party also said that it will launch the Meghalaya Road Maintenance and Upgradation programme to upgrade and modernize all major roads in the state over the next 5 years even as it assured to streamline traffic congestion through the construction of overpasses and bypasses across the state.

“We will ensure 100% implementation of the PM Awas Yojana Scheme and provide pucca houses to all the residents of Meghalaya,” it said.

Further, the BJP assured to constitute a high-level committee under the aegis of a retired High Court judge to check the corruption and inefficiencies in Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited and ensure 24X7 electricity besides launching a SMART (State of Meghalaya Agri-business and Rural Transformation) village project with an investment of Rs 2,200 crore.