The Left Front in West Bengal, led by the CPI(M), has revealed its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections, emphasizing industrial growth and job creation. The manifesto includes plans to boost employment in the public sector by filling all vacant state government positions and attracting major investments in the private sector through revisions to the state’s industrial policy. Veteran CPI(M) leader Biman Bose, the chairman of the Left Front in West Bengal, presented the manifesto.
The manifesto guarantees 120-day jobs in urban areas and 200-day jobs in rural regions, with a fixed daily wage of Rs 600. It commits to filling vacant government posts in the state through a transparent recruitment process within the next five years, utilizing bodies like the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC). The Left Front also pledges to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 16 agricultural products by one and a half times and provide free electricity up to 100 units.
Additionally, the manifesto promises strict enforcement of laws against illegal filling of water bodies, the establishment of 20 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) for women’s empowerment over the next five years, a special health insurance scheme for senior citizens, and an old-age pension scheme with a monthly cap of Rs 6,000. It highlights the creation of specialized educational institutions and healthcare facilities for minority and backward class communities.
Bose emphasized the need to address the substantial debt accumulated by the state exchequer during the Trinamool Congress regime’s 15-year tenure in West Bengal. He outlined plans to tackle this debt by eliminating unnecessary and non-plan expenditures, focusing on rationalizing expenses for debt servicing.
