UDF promises 15 lakh jobs, fillip to tourism, IT & farming

The UDF is promising 15 lakh new jobs and no change in prices of essential commodities sold through Maveli stores in the next five years. The Congress-led Front's manifesto, released here on Wednesday , sticks to the proclaimed policy of making Kerala a liquor-free state in 10 years.
To reach the set job-creation target, UDF intends to undertake several developmental projects and will encourage the public-private partnership model in pilgrimage tourism, festival tourism, medical tourism and educational tourism.These schemes would ensure five lakh jobs, it claimed.
The manifesto also promises to deliver a gargantuan, close to sevenfold, leap in IT exports from the state ­ from the current Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore ­ in the next five years. For the young entrepreneurs, the UDF has assured interest-free loan up to Rs 20 lakh.
The UDF is also offering fiveyear tax holidays for the promotion of family-driven and self-employment enterprises. The document talks about formulating an integrated plan for skill-development training targeting students and promoting “large-scale investment“ to generate employment for educated unemployed youth. It promises Startup Villages in all districts `for young entrepreneurs' and generation of jobs in agriculture, smallscale and traditional industries. The manifesto also envisages job-oriented training in mobile phone services for students who have passed SSLC.
For helping non-resident Keralites returning to the state, UDF government will start new enter prises through NoRKA. It assures a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 for those who return on account of physical disability, cancer, stroke, heart attack or kidney ailments.
In the agriculture front, the UDF promises to formulate measures to promote paddy cultivation. Special packages will be formulated for expanding area under paddy and environment conservation.
To promote organic farming and provide profitable income to farmers, the UDF government intends to introduce subsidy for farmers. In order to procure, distribute and market organic farm products, the Front is proposing the formation of an `Organic Farm Board'.
Other agri-sops include interestfree loans to farmers who make prompt repayment of availed farm loans and a per-hectare incentive bonus of Rs 10,000 to marginal farmers to promote mixed cultivation.An agricultural fund would also be created through `Farm bumper lottery' to give relief to farmers.
The Front has also proposed a `Bhagyalakshmi' plan for girls from BPL families, under which a fixed amount will be deposited in their account, which can be realised, with interest, when the girl turns 18.Monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 will be paid during the first two years to female law graduates from BPL families to enable them register in Bar Council and start practice.
The government will provide Rs 25,000 for the remarriagerehabilitation of poor widows. For the mar riage of poor widow's daughters and orphan girls, government will provide Rs 25,000 each.
On the industrial front, the UDF government intends to procure two to four hectares of land at panchayat level for industrial estates for starting small and medium enterprises. The scheme would generate one lakh jobs, it said.
In the health sector, UDF promises free medicines for cancer and diabetic patients, health insurance to all BPLAPL families, life-saving medicine at low price in all grama panchayats, comprehensive development of all PHCs, ayurveda and homeo dispensaries in villages and comprehensive `Gramin Health' treatment project that integrates three systems of medicine.