New Delhi: A council for the welfare of ex-servicemen, doubling of the compensation provided to families of soldiers killed on duty, an app for the Char Dham pilgrimage, special allowance for people residing in their native villages in hilly areas, unemployment allowance for youngsters, filling vacancies in state government jobs, and priority for women in employment — these are some of the promises made by the Congress in its Uttarakhand manifesto ahead of the assembly polls, ThePrint has learnt.
The state votes in a single phase on 14 February.
The manifesto will be launched by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on 2 February in Dehradun. The party had earlier launched a campaign theme of ‘Char Dham, Char Kaam — Uttarakhandi Swabhiman’. Details of the manifesto were shared with ThePrint by Congress leaders privy to the document.
“Unemployment is a major concern in the state and the Congress will provide either government jobs or employment through government projects to one person from each family in Uttarakhand,” said a senior Congress leader, adding that an alleged “freeze on state government jobs” will be done away with as well.
The manifesto states that “currently, 28,000 positions are yet to be filled”.
“To fill them, the ban on government jobs will be lifted. We will increase government jobs by 10 per cent every year and priority will also be given to local youth residing at the block and district level of the state depending on the job (class 3, 4 etc),” the manifesto adds.
In addition to this, if the party comes to power, an unemployment allowance has been promised under the Nyay scheme to youth who have been unemployed for three years.
“In seven key departments, women will be given priority. Women will be given priority in MNREGA and 40 per cent of the work under it will be reserved for women,” the leader added.
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Wooing ex-servicemen, freedom fighters
A second Congress leader said the party “will establish freedom fighter sadans (bodies) in the state”.
“Roads and streets will be named after freedom fighters. We will also increase the monetary amount that is given to families of freedom fighters. One person from martyrs’ families will be given a government job,” said the Congress leader.
A council for the welfare of ex-servicemen will also be established to take up the issues they face, including financial frauds.
The party manifesto also says that distress migration will be checked. To ensure migration from hilly areas is stopped, a special allowance and special rebates in power and electricity bills will be provided to families residing in such areas, the party has said.
Tourism, too, is part of the manifesto and apart from making the Char Dham pilgrimage areas plastic-free and providing RO water there, the party has also promised setting up tourism police units to ensure safety and security at tourist spots.
Relief for farmers, Covid-affected people
The second Congress leader quoted above said the party will also work to modernise sugar mills “and ensure a system under which pending bills of farmers are paid”.
“During the farm laws movement, the farmers who were booked due to political malice, such cases will be withdrawn. Organic farming will be promoted and to achieve it nine districts are to be made completely organic,” the leader added.
Taking cognisance of the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, the party has also promised constituting a ‘special institute for epidemic mitigation’.
“Those who lost earning members during Covid-19 will be provided economic help. Once our government is formed we will also pay for the education of students who have lost their parents. Also, students who have taken education loans, the interest during the Covid period will be waived,” said the party leader.
The Congress has also promised to make the city of Gairsain a permanent capital and has said that a proposal will be sent to the NITI Aayog for development in the region.
“About 71 per cent of Uttarakhand is forest land. In eight hilly districts, 90 per cent of the land is covered by forests. The Congress government will initiate necessary changes by discussing forest laws in today’s context,” said the leader.
(Edited by Saikat Niyogi)
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