BJP adopts eco-friendly manifesto

NEW DELHI: The standard fare of free water and power promise will not be part of BJP's poll promise document for Uttar Pradesh. The party, which has finalised a vision document for the poll-bound state, has steered clear of reckless populism and said, if elected to power, its top priority would be on a "more crop per drop" approach towards agriculture.

This is stark contrast to the poll pledges of its competitors, particularly Mulayam Singh, who have been promising free water to farmers. "The BJP government will ensure more food with less water in the water-scarce Budelkhand region of the state. If water dries up, so will the region's economy. We will encourage Israel-model irrigation," says the vision document.

The announcement is certain to be welcomed by water conservation experts as free water would only encourage farmers to cultivate water-guzzling crops and, in the process, lower the water table levels in their area. The vision document has said that in the social sector, the party, if voted to power, will adopt the welfare schemes of other BJP-run governments that are seen to be working well. "We will implement the Ladli-Lakshmi scheme of Madhya Pradesh for eliminating school dropout among girl students, the "famed" PDS scheme of Chhattisgarh for giving grain at cheap rates and Jyotigram Yogna of Gujarat for providing uninterrupted power to farmers," the document says.

The decision of JD(U) to go it alone has not restrained BJP from showcasing Nitish Kumar's governance model in poll-bound UP . The document, which describes the Bihar government as the best-governed state, said BJP will incorporate key elements of Kumar's governance paradigm. "Bihar, which once was the most under-developed state, has become the fastest growing state under NDA rule. It has eliminated goonda raj and established the rule of law," the document said and promised similar changes for making UP an attractive destination for investments.