New Delhi: Aiming to unseat the ruling BJP from power at the Centre, the Congress on Tuesday released its poll manifesto, focusing on unemployment, farmers’ distress, poverty alleviation and women’s security.
The salient points are as follows:
1. The Congress has promised to fill up 22 lakh government job vacancies by 2020 in its bid to take on the problem of growing unemployment in the country.
2. It has pledged to give the highest priority to protecting existing jobs and creating new ones.
3. New businessmen trying to set up businesses will not have to seek permission from anyone.
4. The NYAY scheme remains the central focus in the party’s manifesto. Once again talking about the minimum income support scheme, party president Rahul Gandhi said, “Gareebi pe vaar, 72 hazar“. The scheme promises Rs 72,000 per annum to 20 per cent of the poorest population in the country.
5. The Congress has also proposed a separate ‘kisan budget’ and make non-payment of loans by farmers civil offence instead of a criminal one.
6. If voted in, a Congress government will allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to the poor.
7. Speaking before the manifesto release, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said: “The purpose of the Congress manifesto is to spell out a vision of moving towards forward-looking and inclusive economy, polity.”
8. On the agricultural sector, the Congress has promised in its manifesto to completely overhaul the “BJP’s failed Fasal Bima Yojana that has only helped insurance companies at the expense of the country’s farmers”.
9. “I had given two instructions. It should reflect the wishes of the people of the country. And, it should be based on truthfulness, because every day we hear lies from the prime minister,” Rahul Gandhi said after unveiling the party manifesto.
10. The party also promises to immediately withdraw the widely resented Citizenship Amendment Bill introduced by the BJP-led government against the wishes of the people of the north-eastern States. It also promised to ensure that no citizen of India is denied inclusion in the final National Register of Citizens.
