The recent release of the NDA's 'Sankalp Patra' for the Bihar Assembly elections has, once again, brought forth a wave of ambitious promises. I followed the news as BJP leader JPS Rathore confidently termed it a manifesto of Bihar's development, envisioning a new saga for the state Manifesto of Bihar's development.
The promises are indeed grand, spanning various sectors: over a crore government jobs and employment opportunities, a commitment to make a crore women 'Lakhpati Didi' through schemes like the 'Mukhyaministri Mahila Rojgar Yojana,' financial assistance for extremely backward classes, and an annual benefit for farmers under the 'Kapurgari Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi.' Beyond this, the manifesto talks of mega skill centers, metro train services in additional cities, new industrial parks, and significant investment pledges, along with making the state flood-free NDA releases manifesto for Bihar polls; key promises, NDA's "Flood To Fortune" Plan In Bihar If Voted To Power Again. The event itself saw a gathering of prominent leaders, including Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chirag Paswan, and Upendra Kushwaha, with the assurance that PM Narendra Modi (n.modi@india.gov.in) himself guarantees the fulfillment of these promises Manifesto of Bihar's development.
As I reflect on these ambitious declarations, a familiar echo reverberates in my mind. It takes me back to my blog post from 2020, titled "Poll Promise to Create 10 Lakh Jobs" Poll Promise to Create 10 Lakh Jobs. In that piece, I discussed similar job promises made by Shri Tejashwi Yadav and expressed my long-held skepticism about the feasibility of such grand-scale government job creation.
The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, emphasizing that neither the private sector nor the public sector could realistically create enough traditional jobs to absorb the millions joining the workforce annually. Back in 2015, I had even proposed a solution, advocating for the creation of opportunities for self-employment, an idea I detailed in my piece "IDEAS TO CREATE JOBS" IDEAS TO CREATE JOBS. Now, seeing how things have unfolded with renewed promises of immense job numbers, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context.
Indeed, I've consistently highlighted the recurrent nature of such electoral promises, a sentiment I shared in "Time to Ditch Model Code of Conduct" Time to Ditch Model Code of Conduct, questioning whether they truly align with the Election Commission's guidelines regarding feasibility and financial rationale. Furthermore, in my analysis of the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' in "BJP's Vision for India: Detailed Analysis" BJP's Vision for India: Detailed Analysis, I underscored the importance of translating these vision statements into concrete, actionable plans with transparent financial means. This holds true for the current Bihar manifesto as well.
The question that always arises for me isn't just what is promised, but how it will be achieved. The scale of job creation mentioned, for instance, requires an economic transformation that goes beyond simple government recruitment. It necessitates a robust ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship, skill development, and sustainable industrial growth. While the manifesto mentions 'Global Skilling Centres' and industrial parks, the sheer numbers demand a deeper, more detailed roadmap for implementation and funding transparency.
My earnest hope remains that political leaders, from JPS Rathore to JP Nadda, Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chirag Paswan, and Upendra Kushwaha, will truly consider the long-term, sustainable impact of their promises. As I've suggested before, it's time for industry associations, professional bodies, business leaders, and economic experts, perhaps even former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagaria, to courageously convey the "fact of life" to the public: that true empowerment often lies in creating a fertile ground for self-employment and sustainable economic opportunities, rather than relying solely on the promise of government jobs.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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