RAIPUR: The governing Congress in Chhattisgarh rolled out a populist manifesto on Sunday, promising higher paddy procurement price, farm loan waiver, free ‘KG to PG’ education, free electricity up to 200 units, a 50% discount on power bills up to 400 units, and a 50% loan subsidy for self-employment.
The highlights of ‘Bharose ka Ghoshna Patra' include a caste census and most of the announcements made earlier by Congress functionaries Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief minister Bhupesh Baghel during their recent election rallies.
Chhattisgarh goes to the assembly elections on November 7 and 17. The manifesto was released simultaneously at six places in the state, with party state in-charge Kumari Selja launching it in Raipur and CM Baghel releasing it in Rajnandgaon, Jagdalpur, Bilaspur, Ambikapur, and Kawardha. All the current schemes of the state government will be continued, Baghel said. Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Raipur, Selja said that the word ‘bharosa’ (trust) is associated with Congress, while ‘jumlebazi’ (rhetoric) is associated with BJP.
She stated, “During the previous elections, we identified and discussed the needs and requirements of the people and made 36 promises, of which we fulfilled 98%. In contrast, the BJP, in the past three elections in 2003, 2008, and 2013, made 31 promises, of which 25 remain unfulfilled. This is the difference.”
“You may go and check in the markets, talk to youths, farmers, and traders; people will tell you Congress is the ‘bharose ki government’. That’s why we are releasing the ‘Bharose ka manifesto’. We waived loans of over Rs 10,000 crore for more than 20 lakh farmers soon after coming to power,” she added.
Farmers will now get Rs 3,200 per quintal of paddy, including the input subsidy currently being provided under the Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojna, she said, adding that the government is procuring 20 quintals per acre of paddy. Tendu leaf collection will be done at Rs 6,000 per standard sack, instead of the existing Rs 4,000, and tendu leaf collectors will receive an additional annual bonus of Rs 4,000.
The opposition BJP’s manifesto promises Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy and Rs 5,500 per sack of tendu leaves.
Under the new Mahtari Nyay Yojana, women will receive a subsidy of Rs 500 on refill of LPG cylinders, and the subsidy will be directly deposited in the bank accounts of women beneficiaries, Selja said.
“The Prime Minister keeps mentioning his own caste wherever he goes but doesn’t want others to do the same. Until an exact caste census of the people is conducted, the benefits won’t reach them, and we can’t prepare beneficial schemes for them. Therefore, we will conduct a caste census in Chhattisgarh,” she said.
As announced earlier by Rahul and Priyanka, 700 new rural industrial parks will be developed, and all government schools will be upgraded to Swami Aatmanand English and Hindi medium schools, Selja said, adding that tevra (pulse) will also be included in MSP.
“Under PM Awas Yojana, about 7.5 lakh eligible families haven’t received homes. We will provide houses to 17.5 lakh families, including the aforementioned ones. In the present scheme, the state government is providing free health treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, which will be increased to Rs 10 lakh under the Dr Khoobchand Baghel Yojana,” Selja said.
“People in urban areas face a lot of challenges when a loved one in the family passes away, and they struggle to arrange wood for funerals. If elected to power, Congress will arrange and provide wood for funerals,” she said.
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