Goa election: BJP promises 3 free LPG cylinders, no hike in state duties on fuel for 3 yrs - Hindustan Times
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Goa election: BJP promises 3 free LPG cylinders, no hike in state duties on fuel for 3 yrs

ByGerard de Souza
Feb 08, 2022 04:27 PM IST

Goa election: Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the Congress promise to cap fuel price at ₹80 a litre was misleading because vehicles were already moving from fossil fuels to blended fuel and natural gas.

PANAJI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday promised to give three free LPG cylinders per year to all households in Goa, freeze state duties on fuel for three years and restart Goa’s mining industry within six months of returning to power.

Goa election: The BJP has promised no hike in state duties on motor fuel for three years to counter the Congress promise to cap fuel at <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>80 a litre (Twitter/@nitin_gadkari)
Goa election: The BJP has promised no hike in state duties on motor fuel for three years to counter the Congress promise to cap fuel at 80 a litre (Twitter/@nitin_gadkari)

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari who released the manifesto said he was confident that the BJP will return to power in Goa based on its track record of development in the state.

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He also took a dig at the Congress, which has promised to cap the price of fuel in Goa at 80 a litre, arguing that fossil fuels were being phased out and replaced by electric vehicles and those driven on blended fuel and natural gas, and these, he said, are already cheaper than conventional vehicles.

“In the coming days, all the engines will be flex engines that can work on both petrol or biofuel or blended fuel. Toyota and others have agreed to install flex engines. This means that reducing the price of petrol to 80 will have no meaning because no one will want to buy fuel. Goa will be free from pollution through this. Diesel buses will be converted to CNG through retrofitting. It will benefit both the transporters and the environment. CNG costs 40 a litre, the Congress promise is only to mislead the people,” Gadkari said.

The union minister also showered praises on the Goa BJP, which he said, has promised to make Goa carbon neutral and give electric buses and taxis a hard push.

The BJP has also promised “housing for all Goans” via home loans for deserving families at an interest rate of 2% for women and 4% for men, and introduce a scheme to be called Manohar Parrikar Kalyan Scheme to provide funds to local bodies to develop infrastructure.

For the tourism sector, the BJP has announced the introduction of a homestay scheme that will give Goa residents an interest-free loan of 5 lakh and training if they wish to provide homestay facilities.

For the youth, the party has promised to launch “Mission Gold Coast” aimed at ensuring that a Goan wins Olympic gold medal and a brand-new International football stadium and an academy with a world-renowned coach. The BJP has also promised that Goa will host the FIFA U-20 World Cup over the next few years.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant also challenged Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat to place before the people a report card of the five years he was the chief minister between 2007 and 2012.

“You should ask them and I challenge Digambar Kamat. He should present his report card of the 2007 manifesto and report card of 2012. We have given the list of all the scams that have taken place during that tenure,” he said.

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