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In the race for chief ministership, BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal dwells on many subjects in an interview with Pratibha Chauhan On the BJP’s poll prospects
Development as poll plank Development is and will always continue to remain an important poll plank as it is a measure of the party’s performance. At times, there might not be immediate gains but ultimately it does pay dividends. People do compare the performance of successive governments. Industrial growth Seeing the grim unemployment scenario, efforts will be made to promote industry by giving special incentives to entrepreneurs. In case the BJP forms the government, we will plead Himachal’s case with the Centre for restoration of the special industrial package till 2013, so that more and more youth can get jobs in the industrial units coming up in the state. We will make it mandatory for industry to make a provision for housing colony for its workers so that the condition of providing 70 per cent jobs to Himachalis can be fulfilled and labour has better living conditions. Fiscal management I have to admit that, unfortunately, there is no easy way out of this debt trap and poor financial health of the state. The only way out of this quagmire is to mobilise resources and cut down on wasteful expenditure. Unfortunately, the Congress regime did not take any effective steps to come out of this debt trap and mobilise resources. Even in my last tenure as CM, we had tried to do away with the concept of a top-heavy administration as it is not required for a small state like Himachal. Besides this, we had abolished the posts of divisional commissioners and sought the reduction of five IAS, IPS and IFS officers to the Himachal cadre .We will try and work in this direction and think of some other ways so that the financial health of the state can be improved. Eco concerns The BJP policy has been that there should be no leniency as far as the big sharks are concerned. However, I am of the view that the poor must be accommodated and such policies be framed which are in the interest of the common man provided it does cause obstruction to smooth flow of traffic. We are keen that efforts should be made to have more tunnels to reduce distances but sans any blasting so that there is no damage to the already fragile ecology. Quota for women We will provide 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions and local bodies and try to empower them in every possible way. As far as giving more assembly tickets to women is concerned, it is a decision arrived at with the consensus of the high command, keeping in view various factors including winnability. Regional bias The BJP has never played the card of regionalism and this we will prove by winning more assembly seats in upper Himachal which is viewed as a Congress bastion. It is through our actions and overall development that we have proved that BJP has never discriminated along caste, region or religion for petty political gains. Our government has always worked towards bringing emotional integrity and this time too we will try to strengthen it in every possible way.
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Seeing the anti-Congress
sentiment sweeping the state our party is all set to get more than 50
seats and form the government comfortably. Every section of society—employees,
farmers, fruit growers, women, unemployed and daily wagers—is
totally disenchanted with the present Congress regime. The presence of
the BSP this time will only help us get more seats as it is certainly
spoiling the Congress game on many seats.