Chandigarh/Ludhiana: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today released party’s 21 point Poll Manifesto for upcoming state assembly elections in Punjab.
“It is not our Poll Manifesto, but an agreement of the AAP with people of Punjab and the party is committed to fulfill all promises made to the people in Poll Document”, Kejriwal said while unveiling the Poll Manifesto among the gathering of business community.
Title page of AAP’s recently released manifesto
“The manifesto is prepared through several extensive sessions of dialogue with the business community, who suggested their points, which were incorporated in the document”, Kejriwal said claiming that other political parties do not talk about the industry specific manifesto, as they were visionless on the revival of industry, which is backbone of overall development of Punjab.
Following are 21 points of Trade & Industry Manifesto of AAP:
1. Trade, industry and transport sectors will be made corruption free. “Inspector Raj” and “Raid Raj” will be eliminated. No “Goonda Tax” to be allowed. Self-certification regime for all NOCs and consents in businesses.
2. Tax regime will be simplified and transparent. VAT and other taxes will be reduced on Delhi pattern. In five years, Punjab will have the lowest tax rate. One time settlement of pending tax related cases. VAT refund to be expedited.
3. Workable and responsive Single Window System for approvals and clearances for all types of industry including real estate. Special impetus to new industry, including IT.
4. Revival of sick units in Mandi Gobindgarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Batala, Pathankot, Nangal, Bathinda and all other industrial towns will be ensured in a time-bound manner through a series of measures, including two-year tax holiday. Special package to bring back industry that fled the state.
5. To kickstart industrial revival, un-utilised lands in under-developed Industrial Estates, Growth Centres and Focal Points will be allotted to industry at affordable rates and/ or lease.
6. Electricity Tariff will be substantially reduced by nailing corruption and enabling optimum efficiency of systems. Anti-Punjab Power Agreements with private plants will be reviewed and those responsible for burdening the people of the state will be punished.
7. A new industrial township with special incentives will be developed in Ropar to kickstart state-of-the-art environment-friendly IT and other industry to generate employment in the backward Kandi belt adjoining Himachal Pradesh.
8. Unauthorised colonies to be regularised, provided all basic facilities including sewerage within a mandated period. Real Estate sector to be revived by a series of incentives, review of stamp duty, EDC, CLU, and other charges.
9. A comprehensive real estate policy will review distortion of master plans and revive the housing sector in consultation with all stakeholders. Uniformity in regulations and coordination between all government development agencies, like PUDA, GLADA, GMADA, Improvement Trusts, Municipal Corporations etc. will be ensured
10. Elimination of Reta-Bajri Mafia in Punjab; mining licenses to young entrepreneurs. SIT to unearth collection of “Goonda Tax” through Akali-BJP & Congress collusion.
11. A 10-year tax Holiday for Agro-based food processing and other industry. Interest free loans for agro-units employing at least 80 per cent work force from Punjab. Units in rural areas related to food processing, dairy products, maize and cotton etc set up by local entrepreneurs will be given incentives.
12. Transport sector will be depoliticized. AAP government will snatch bus permits from Badals, top politicians of the SAD-BJP, Congress and others who have procured them through fraudulent means and give them to unemployed youth, ex-servicemen, handicapped persons, terrorist victims, and victims of 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
13. Trucking will be freed of corruption and harassment by DTOs and Police through unnecessary checking of vehicles will cease within two weeks of forming the government. Control of politicians in truck unions will be ended. Issuance of HTV and taxi permits in all districts instead of just Muktsar Sahib as of now.
14. Heavy “Toll Tax” charged by private companies in collusion with Akali–BJP, Congress politicians will be investigated, reviewed and rationalized. No toll plazas on roads other than highways. Will press for removal of all toll plazas of NHAI on Jalandhar-Amritsar and Ropar-Anandpur Sahib section due to their status as holy cities in accordance with the Centreʼs policy to remove selective toll plazas.
15. Liquor mafia will be dismantled and replaced with an alternate system that provides equal opportunity and generates employment. Control of politicians and their henchmen will be ended in the liquor business.
16. Five-year tax holiday for Women to encourage women entrepreneurs.
17. Small retailers will be protected from FDI in retail and mega malls. A “special cell” will look into complaints of harassment of and extortion from rice sheller owners, artiyas, jewellers, and small retailers by food inspectors, police, taxation officials etc.
18. Religious, heritage and industrial tourism will be encouraged with liberal tax incentives to hotels and related industry. Exhibition halls will be set up in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala in PPP-model.
19. Social security for tax-paying small and medium businessmen and traders who suffer losses and face insolvency.
20. While there will be zero-toleration on food adulteration, systems will be put in place to check unfair harassment of retailers. Testing laboratories for food safety will be set up in all districts.
21. In order to end harassment of “rehriwalas” and “fariwallahs”, spaces will be earmarked in every city for creation of “rehri” markets and week-end flea markets.