This story is from November 13, 2017

BJP promises free wi-fi and water connections, pink toilets for women

BJP promises free wi-fi and water connections, pink toilets for women
CM Yogi Adityanath releasing BJP's Sankalpa Patra for the local bodies elections, at the party office in Lucknow (PTI photo)
LUCKNOW: Chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi released BJP’s ‘sankalp patra’ on Sunday promising free WiFi at prominent public places, ‘pink toilets’ for women and free water connections to all homes.
The sankalp patra comprises 28 promises (sankalps), including better drinking water facilities, improved street lighting, free community toilets, grant of Rs 20,000 for construction of personal toilets, provision of adarsh nagar panchayat, e-tendering and ‘Kanji’ house for stray animals.

The sankalp patra, unveiled at BJP headquarters by Yogi, deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, urban development minister Suresh Khanna and UP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, is being seen as a virtual poll manifesto for local bodies election.
It also promises time-bound disposal of public grievances, making cities clean, green and smart, proper bus service, clean environment, beautification of parks, house tax exemption for freedom fighters and their dependents, better parking, auditoriums and exhibition grounds and improving flight connectivity between tourist spots.
Speaking at the event, CM said, “Each point mentioned here will be our priority. If BJP wins it will be easier for us to fulfil promises as we will have our government at all three levels of governance”.
The document also takes care of economic, social, religious and envrionmental aspects of urban life. It woos youngsters with free wi-fi, women with promise to create women self-help groups and pink toilets in crowded markets.

“UP’s seven cities are already covered under smart city scheme while six others will also be included soon. Besides, 61 urban bodies are covered under AMRUT Yojana,” he said.
It also promises development for urban poor, slum-dwellers, children studying in municipal schools and manual scavengers.
CM said that traditional products like Lucknow’s chikan, Moradabad’s brassware, Ferozabad’s glassware, Aligarh’s locks and Banarasi sari will get special focus as they also provide employment to locals. One-district-one-product scheme will be specifically launched for this.
In last six months, state government has provided LED street lighting, acted against power theft and gave more than 20 lakh electricity connections to those living in unauthorised colonies.
CM said that all LEDs will be installed as street lights in all 16 municipal corporations.
“Work in this regard has been completed in Varanasi and Allahabad, and is going on in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Agra and Kanpur,” he said.
The sankalp patra says that areas prone to water-logging will get special focus. The government has studied Israel’s water management and will take inspiration from it to control the problem.
“While the previous government provided only 7,500 houses to urban poor, we have provided house to 1.6 lakh urban poor under PM Awas Yojana. Urban poor will be given a grant of Rs 20,000 to contruct toilets. Kanji house scheme will be revived for stray cattle,” said Yogi.
When asked if he sees BJP winning local elections, he said, “Hamare virodhi toh maidaan chhod kar ja chuke hain (Our opponents have already called it quits)”.
UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey said, “The urban development minister in Akhilesh government did not allow our mayors and chairmen to carry out development. After elections, we will develop cities and towns”.
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