Voters across the country could be in for a major bonanza if an AIADMK-supported Government comes to power in New Delhi. This is because in the AIADMK’s manifesto for the 2014 lok Sabha elections, the party’s chief J Jayalalithaa has promised free mixers & grinders, fans, milch cows and goats to the people of the country if a Government in which the party has a major say assumes charge at the Centre.
Significantly, free mixers & grinders and fans offered by her during the 2011 Assembly elections resulted in the rout of the ruling DMK. True to her word, Jayalalithaa ensured that all eligible households got the freebies promised by the party. “More than 81 lakh families in Tamil Nadu got the promised mixers & grinders and fans during the last 30 months,” says the manifesto.
Voters can also look forward to a pension of Rs 1,000 per month under the social security scheme. Free milch cows and goats will be offered to people in rural as-well-as semi-urban areas to supplement their income. The manifesto also promises solar-powered green homes for people all over the country. These green homes were a major hit with the people of Tamil Nadu and the State Government had built and handed over 180,000 such houses in the last 30 months.
Parents who come in the Below Poverty line category will get financial assistance to the tune of Rs 25,000 along with a four gram gold coin of 22 carats for making mangalsutras. Girls who have obtained a degree/diploma will get Rs 50,000 along with a four gram gold coin for mangalsutras. According to the manifesto, more than 3.47 lakh poor girls from Tamil Nadu have benefited from this scheme.
The icing on the cake could be the offer to extend the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme to the remaining parts of the country. The scheme helps each family get a health cover of Rs 1 lakh per year and Rs 4 lakh in four years. If you feel that the freebies are only for voters then you are way off the mark. Students stand to get laptops, bicycles, school uniforms, shoes, crayons, school bags, geometry boxes and even the school fees!
“If these things could be done in Tamil Nadu with the limited resources that are at the disposal of the State Government, then why not in the whole of IndiaIJ” asks an ardent fan of Jayalalithaa. Though the Election Commission of India is yet to notify the poll schedule, Jayalalithaa is already in full election mode and released her party’s manifesto on Tuesday. On Monday, she had declared the names of all the 40 candidates (39 from Tamil Nadu and one from Puducherry) for the lok Sabha elections. Jayalalithaa also released the schedule of her whirlwind election campaign in Tamil Nadu that will begin on March 4 and conclude on April 4.
Not one to forget the great Indian middle class, Jayalalithaa has also promised to abolish Income-Tax for people earning up to Rs 5 lakh per year. However, for many, the highlight of the manifesto is the party’s promise to give a new perspective to federalism. Taking into consideration requests by the heads of various churches in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK would ensure that converts from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to other communities too get the benefit of reservation.