Jalandhar, Jan 23 (KNN) In poll bound Punjab, BJP has tried to touch the poor and industrialists in its manifesto released on Sunday and has also assured rapid VAT-refunding process.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released the party’s 16-page manifesto for Punjab which will have assembly elections on February 4.

Arun Jaitley and state BJP president Vijay Sampla released the election document in Jalandhar on Sunday.

The key highlights of the manifesto are:

•          Employment in each household under 'Ek Parivar, Ek Rozgar' programme
•          A house for every poor, 2kg desi ghee and 5kg sugar for 'blue card' holders
•          Free education till PhD for daughters of 'blue card' holders
•          Loans for education of youth
•          Rapid VAT-refunding process for industrialists, and implementation of the goods and services tax.
•          Rs five lakh assistance to the families affected by militancy
•          A 5-8 marla plot of land to Dalits and those belonging to backward class
•          A job to at least one member from each family
•          Setting up of a 'Farmers Income Commission' which will provide an assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the families of traders or farmers in the event of their sudden death
•          Implementing the seventh pay commission
•          Raising to 60 years the age of retirement
•          Setting up of five PGIs
•          Group housing for journalists

"The state government, with the help of the Centre, has made adequate investments in the physical infrastructure in Punjab, but investing in the social infrastructure is the need of the hour, something which the BJP manifesto has focused on," Jaitley said while releasing the Manifesto.

Jaitley said while a lot of development had already taken place in Punjab under the SAD-BJP government in the past 10 years, the alliance was committed towards economic and social strengthening of the state.

"When there is a coalition government, then programmes too are unified. Hence, keeping in mind the economic and social development of Punjab, we have come up with unified programmes in our manifesto. Our priority will be to carry forward works initiated by the coalition. Policies would be carved out for economic upliftment of Dalits, backward classes and weaker sections, so that we move towards the social strengthening," he said.