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A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party released its vision document, the Congress released its manifesto in the presence of Congress state in charge Ambika Soni, party’s assistant election in charge Kumari Selja and Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay here in Dehradun on Sunday. Chief Minister Harish Rawat has promised that he would stop migration by 2020 and will create employment opportunity by 2022 so that people would return to their village from urban areas. He also promised that if elected, the Congress government would distribute pressure cooker to each household and free smart phone with internet connectivity and calling for next one year.
If elected, the Congress government would lay emphasis on disaster management, infrastructure development and economic empowerment of women. With this manifesto, which Rawat has termed a pledge and roadmap for the party led government, Congress has tried to get associated with each class of the society.
He further said that so far SC/ST are getting reservation in job but now they would give reservation in commercial activity as well. It means in each tender 15 percent work will be done by the SC/ST in the state. He also promised that if the Congress is voted to office then he would provide wheat to APL card holder @ Rs four per kg which will be further reduced to @ Rs two per kg by 2018. State would distribute Rs 2500 per month as unemployment allowances to all unemployed youth between age group of 18-25 in next 100 days. Government would set up chief minister office at Gairsain and CMO would be functional for one week in each month.
To woo the ex-servicemen he promised that government would create cooperative committee on the pattern of eco-task force, which would comprise of the block domicile ex-servicemen or ex-para military forces and it would be led by ex-servicemen only. The government is committed to include the servicemen, who have either taken VRS or were relieved before completing 15 years of service on medical or other grounds, will be included under One Rank One Pension (OROP). The Congress government would focus its first two years on soliders, youth and women empowerment. One high school or intermediate school will be converted into residential school in each block of the state. Government would provide free wi-fi service in each college and university of the state. Government would also shift the hazardous overhead power lines from where people have built their homes on priority level. Government would introduce health insurance and accidental insurance for all the advocates and 50 percent of its premium would be paid by the state.
He also promised that their government would lay emphasis on agriculture. Around 30 percent unirrigated land will be provided irrigation facility or 50 percent would be brought under irrigation system in next five years. Replying to a media query about chief minister Harish Rawat already having unveiled a nine-point pledge about eight days ago and how would it be different from that manifesto, Rawat said that the nine points was signage and signage itself speaks that it is beginning of the road.
For women voters, the Congress has promised that it would provide subsidised cylinder to the women so that they would get rid of smoke which they have to face while cooking food without LPG. For women in the BPL category, Congress party government would provide financial help to build kitchen or upgrade their existing kitchen upto Rs 25,000.
Attacking BJP’s vision document, which was released by union finance minister Arun Jaitley, Rawat said that their document is copy of their (Congress) work. He also thanked them that by including their schemes into the BJP manifesto they have ascertained Congress’ work.
Sarcastically he said that after 16 years of Uttarakhand state being created, the BJP has released a vision document but state needs roadmap and the Congress has given a roadmap to the people of Uttarakhand. Replying to a query on how the government would mobilse money to meet these committed expenditures, the CM said that “we have been working form the beginning to mobilise our own resource and will be able to channelise at least Rs 3000 crore additional money”.
