Bapa promises 4,732cr in doles Dhaval Bharwad

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Gujarat EDN

TOI 20SEP2012

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Former chief minister Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) on Wednesday announced that if his party was voted to power it would provide free electricity to rural areas, including for agriculture purposes. The GPP also promised 110 yard plots for the homeless in villages,calling it ‘MaruGhar’ project, a direct counter to Congress’s Ghar Nu Ghar and BJP’s promise to allot homes through Gujarat Housing Board.
    Patel, along with the party’s senior leaders Suresh Mehta and Gordhan Zadafia, pledgedsopsworthRs4,732crore.Declaring that he planned to take care of ‘roti, kapada aur makaan’ for all, Patel said that the growth rate of villages as per the 2011 census was much lower as compared to cities. “Is this development?” he asked.
    Free electricity for villages would put an additional burden of Rs 2,000 crore on state exchequer while power for agriculture would cost Rs 1,100 crore. If voted to power the GPP would give free electricity round the clock for the families staying in the villages. Schools, hospital, colleges and anganwadis would also get free electricity, he said.
    Patel announced he would reduce tariff for irrigation water from the canals by 50 per cent. The party also assured provision for clothes and food for BPL families, claimed it would provide two saris free in a year to each woman.
    Further, under the Maru Ghar, beneficiaries would also be given Rs 1 lakh loan to construct a 35square meter house.The margin money of about Rs 25,000 will be borne by the state.