FOCUS ON WELFARE
Modi also vowed to expand welfare programmes, including bringing all Indians above the age of 70 under an existing free health insurance programme and pushing piped cooking gas connections to all houses to follow up on a subsidised cooking gas cylinder programme launched in 2016.
Other promises include raising the cap on loans for non-farming small and micro borrowers, offering free housing for another 30 million poor and keeping up a free grains programme for 800 million Indians until 2029.
The manifesto said the BJP government would continue to focus on a path of low inflation and fiscal prudence to achieve high economic growth.
“The ambition of the 1.4 billion people of the country is Modi’s mission,” Modi said.
“I am placing this manifesto before the people to seek their blessings. Please bless us … to increase our strength … implement this manifesto and ensure a developed India.”
Unemployment was the primary concern of 27 per cent of the 10,000 voters surveyed by Lokniti-CSDS across 19 of India’s 28 states, with rising prices coming second at 23 per cent, the Hindu newspaper reported last week.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.4 per cent in 2022/23, from 4.9 per cent in 2013/14 just before Modi swept to power, official data shows.
It also revealed that nearly 16 per cent of urban youth in the 15 to 29 years age group remained unemployed in 2022/23 due to poor skills and a lack of quality jobs.
