Aiming to retain power, the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday released its manifesto, promising to strengthen the farm sector by granting interest-free loans to farmers, creation of 1.50 lakh jobs in the Government sector and free laptops to 50,000 college students.
Restoration of the pre-2004 pension scheme, regularisation of contract employees after two years, enhanced daily wages, social security pension and appointment of anti- corruption grievances commissioner were the other promises made in the manifesto.
The manifesto released by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Health Minister Kaul Singh, who is also chairman of manifesto Committee and AICC general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde claimed that Congress had fulfilled 95 per cent of poll promises and would implement the remaining promises and fresh promises in the next term, if voted to power.
Singh said his Government has ensured speedy and uniform development of the entire state which is visible on the ground and development and welfare of all sections of people would be the main poll plank.
Kaul Singh said the Congress provided Government jobs to 75,000 youth during the present term and 1.50 lakh jobs would be given in the next five years .He said if the party returned to power, all categories of employees would be granted a special grade pay-scale.
For land acquired by the Government, four times the market value will be provided as compensation.
Private bus permits would be given to youth to generate self-employment, interest free loan of Rs 1-lakh would be given to farmers for purchasing agricultural inputs and 90 per cent subsidy on anti-hail nets.
The Congress Government promised to reduce the period of contractual employees and daily wagers from five years and ten years to three years and five years and now it has promised to regularise contract employees and daily wagers after two and three years respectively.
The manifesto also promises enhancement of pension by 5, 10 and 15 per cent after the age of 65, 70 and 75 years, additional increments to employees after fourth, ninth and fourteenth year of service, increasing daily wages to `350 and free laptops to 50,000 college students.
The Congress also promised decentralisation of administrative and financial powers down to panchayat level and continue food subsidy scheme to control price rise.
Wages of the labourers employed under the Central Government-funded Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the party said, would be hiked to `350 per day from the existing `150.
“We will ask the Central Government to increase the MGNREGA wages from ` 150 to `350. If it does not agree, we will provide the hiked wages from our own resources,” said Kaul Singh.
“Our manifesto is a golden link in the chain of colossal progress in Himachal. Once again, we embark on this momentous journey #MissionHP2017,” the Chief Minister said in a tweet.
The Congress Government has been distributing 10,000 laptops every year among meritorious students of Class X and XI under the Rajiv Gandhi Digital Students Yojana.
The manifesto promises to provide 35,000 laptops annually to check dropouts from Government schools and 15,000 for college students up to graduation.
The Minister said the party was in the fray on the basis of its five-year rule that ensured all-around development, with the focus on opening educational and health institutions, especially schools and colleges in far-flung areas, and developing road infrastructure.
The manifesto also promises to put in place a mechanism to monitor corruption cases with the setting up of an anti-corruption grievances commissioner.
To woo the voters at the grassroots level, the Congress said administrative and financial powers would be decentralised in Panchayati Raj institutions, the village-level third tier of governance, up to panchayats.
For the women, the Congress promised to set up working women hospitals in each of 12 districts and to raise the marriage grant for the daughters of widows to `1 lakh.
Speaking to reporters, Virbhadra Singh said the BJPs decision to filed PK Dhumal would have no impact on prospects of the Congress.