Comparison between the BJP manifesto and the Congress manifesto

The manifesto shows that BJP follows more or less the same goals of national building as the Congress. There are very less disputes even about the strategies, except that BJP being in opposition can afford to have a more critical approach to problem situations. Let us take up the case of right to food. The manifesto says:

To ensure food security for all and eliminate hunger, BJP will:

• Provide 35 kg of rice or wheat every month to BPL families at Rs 2 per kg under an improved and expanded Antyodaya Anna Yojana. This will be available against ‘Food Coupons’ redeemable at both PDS and private outlets.

• Allocate more funds for expanding, universalising and improving the functioning of the Public Distribution System.

• Prevent families from slipping below the poverty line.

• Set up community kitchens in extremely impoverished areas with the help of NGOs through shared funding.

• Aggressively address the problem of widespread malnutrition, especially by expanding the scope of the existing mid-day meal scheme.

• Encourag the production of cereals and discourage the conversion of fertile farm land for dubious industrial projects.

• Ensure that a sufficient level of food stocks is maintained to meet any exigencies due to possible global food crisis which could be severely debilitating and make imports prohibitively expensive, if not impossible.