2014 GENERAL ELECTION YOUR ELECTION MANIFESTO WILL BE ROAD TO SUCCESS

BY CA A. K. JAIN

The next General Elections are due in 2014. All political aspirants have already started working out policies and strategies to approach public for support and vote. However, it is no longer an easy mission to convince Indian voters to vote for any party or individual. Television programmes and print media have turned Indians into a conscious and informed class. Now, people are looking forward towards strong programmes and policies rather than traditional individuals and parties. It will be now be very tricky to play sentimental issues for electoral success.

In this note, we are providing a evocative programme for effectively setting forth election strategy to the aspiring national players. We are confident, if an organization adopts policies and programme on the lines suggested herein below and delivers on promises, nothing can restrain them from winning and ruling this country for next several decades.

The suggestive programme is outlined herein below.

A. About Election Candidates

1. Qualification- Only those persons will be eligible to fight election who have not been held guilty under Indian Criminal Laws and who are at least graduates by education.

2. Election Expenses- Party will display all direct and indirect expenses of every individual candidate on the website.

3. Asset Information- All candidates before filing nominations will declare their complete family property details on party website. Annual additions will also be declared on party website. Information about source of income in past and in future will also be declared on the party website from time to time.

B. Development Programmes

1. Education- Government will pay for education up to graduation level and also provide necessary books, uniforms and hostel etc.

2. Industry- Indian products will get 25% price preference over foreign products in all government purchases. While only essential items will be preferred for import, luxury items will carry substantial taxes. Technology import will be preferred over product import. Foreign industrial ownership will not exceed 75% in any case. Government will move out of business and unnecessary industrial activity.

3. Infrastructure - All state capitals will be connected with plus six lane super highways. Entire border line (both coastal and land locked) of the country will have a super several lane super highway. Besides, government will whole heartedly encourage development of several new ports, water navigation, new railway connectivity etc. All projects will be time bound. One hundred scientifically planned new cities of (sixteen hundred sq. kilometers each) will be developed through out country.

4. Agriculture - Government will meet required water and electricity requirements of farmers.

5. Agro Distribution Network- Government will facilitate storage and movements of agro produce from production centres to consumption centres. Government will not buy and sell agro products.

6. Exports - Government will provide 100% tax exemption to all exporters.

7. Imports - Only strict need based imports will be allowed. Products and their quantities will be decided on annual basis and displayed on government website.

8. Tax Free Zones - Government will mark (after due diligence) either Andaman Islands or any other suitable land to be developed as India’s tax free zone like Hong Kong, Singapore etc.

9. Water Resources - Government will see that good and sweet water does not fall in Arabic Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. Water will be utilised before it falls in ocean.

10. Electricity - Measure fiscal incentives will be given to electricity generating companies. Government will not develop new power stations but bring private institutions in this business with substantial fiscal benefits.

11. Medical Support - Health insurance will be compulsory. Government will meet insurance cost of people earning below Rs.1,20,000.00. Business of all private hospitals and health insurance companies will be strictly regulated and ethical practices will be enforced.

12. Housing - Government will announce low cost single room houses with common kitchen and other facilities on lease basis for the life time of allotee all over the country. Besides this no other residential construction will be undertaken by the government.

13. Disabled Person - Wherever required government will provide every possible support in terms of housing, occupation, medical support and pension. No disable person will be seen begging on road.

14. Population Control - Government will provide both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to small families of one child.

15. Reservations - There will be no reservations in education and services.

16. Religion - Government will not provide any support, assistance, service, facility on religious grounds.

17. NGOs - Only, in rarest of rare cases government will provide financial support.

18. Sports - Sports degree colleges will be opened in all states to offer graduation and post graduation in sports.

19. Foreign Relations - Government will negotiate and settle all disputes with neighbouring countries with open mind. The issues will not be allowed to linger on. The foreign policy will be independent and Indian interest will be supreme consideration.

20. Defence System - Multiple intelligence agencies will come under one umbrella and report to President of India who is head of the Armed Forces. All defence expenses will be subject to strict audit by C.A.G. Special audits will be conducted wherever felt required by the President. All defence personnel who have not attained the age of sixty years at the time of retirement will be given suitable civilian government job on priority basis. Their retirement age will be 65 years.

21. Financial Wastage - C.A.G will have a special cell to take note of financial wastage. CAG will be empowered to stop financial wastages.

22. Mineral Resources - India will not export raw minerals with out value addition except in isolated cases.

23. Corruption Cases - All political and administrative corruption cases will be dealt by a singe institution having representation of multiple members. The cases will be dealt in six months time and its order will not be appealeable in any court.

24. Prisons - Prisons will be classified on the basis of types of conviction, age and duration of punishment. All prisons will be converted into factories producing consumer and industrial items.

25. Beggers - Begging will be considered an offence punishable under law for physically fit persons.

26. Environment - Damaging environment will be considered criminal offence. Persons responsible for releasing pollutants in river water will be prosecuted. New Tree plantation and its maintenance will be national mission. Railways will allow plantation of fruit and other trees along with its railway lines through out the country to private institutions and individuals.

27. Litigation in Courts - No litigation in any court will linger on beyond two years irrespective of any reason. New judges will be appointed in large number to manage court affairs. Litigants to pay for court services.

28. Science and Technology - Successful original research activities will be substantially rewarded through financial and fiscal support.

29. Stable Government Policies - Unless extremely essential the fiscal and financial policies will not change in normal circumstances.

30. Indian Embassy Abroad - The financial budget of Indian embassies and missions abroad will be substantially reduced. These missions will be expected to generate adequate financial resources from visa fees etc. to maintain their office.

31. Foreign Debts - Government will pay back all commercial foreign debts to reduce interest cost to economy. Only low interest debts will be carried forward.

32. Taxation - The government will bring down income tax rates to the level of 10% for individuals and 15% for the corporate with basic threshold of Rs. 5,00,000.00 . All non-trade remittances from abroad will be treated as income subject to normal tax. Persons earning abroad and bringing their foreign earnings in India will not be subject to questioning and assessments. Their declaration will be adequate. Foreign companies will be taxed at higher rates. Excise, customs, service tax and several other acts will be re-written in maximum 200 pages. All tax authorities will function under one authority. Strict punishments will be provided for gratuitous tax planning and evasion.

33. Finance - Lower tax rates, flow of funds from abroad under simplified scheme, simplification of direct / indirect tax laws and serious financial and physical punishments will substantially boost government receipts many-many folds for years and years to come. Besides, savings in expenditure and better utilization of resources will increase government surplus.

34. Law and Order - Police will maintain data base of criminals, crime, court cases etc. in public domain through one single website for the whole of the country. Retired selected army personnel will be placed in police service to save on training and pension cost.

We can perfectly secure the confidence of the people of this country if the above outlined programme is announced as election manifesto by any political organization. Various announcements in this manifesto may require new financial commitment but radical changes in revenue collection system will generate much more than what is needed. Besides, the issue of administrative inefficiencies and unethical practices is addressed in this programme effectively and indirectly.

We also suggest all political organizations to organize workshops and seminars before announcing their election manifesto.

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