On Monday, few days ahead of the Gujarat polls, the Congress released its manifesto. The Gujarat polls will be held in 2 stages. Today, stage 1 of the Gujarat polls are taking place in Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat.
Party Leaders Ashok Gehlot and Bharatsinh Solanki released the manifesto in Ahmedabad. The 60 page People’s Manifesto 2017 attempts to address several issues sparking unrest in the State. The manifesto focusses on youth, agriculture and the Patel quota.
From farm loan waiver to free housing for single women, the party has promised several measures. Earlier this month, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) Leader Hardik Patel announced his support for the Congress. He also accepted the Party’s demands for the Patel community. The Party demanded reservation for jobs and education for the Patel community.
The Party in its manifesto stated, “Patidar Andolan for reservation in Gujarat has given impetus to the demands and feelings of the people belonging to the Non Reservation Category of the State for equal opportunity in education and employment.”
One of the Party Leaders Bharatsinh Solanki said, “Gujarat is at a crossroad. The Gujarat model of development with focus on big factories, big projects and foreign direct investment has been a top down approach. This development model has ignored the farmers, SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises,) women, students and traders.
What we need is a bottom up approach, rooted in Gandhian values, focusing on family, culture. The Gandhian model of development will focus on the talents and needs of the people of Gujarat.”
The highlights of the manifesto are given below:
- Petrol and diesel prices will be decreased by Rs. 10 a litre.Farm debt will be waived.
- Farmers will get electricity for 16 hours. All farmers will be given power connection.
- Every unemployed youth will get Rs 4000 a month as unemployment allowance till he/she gets a job.
- A special Bill will be brought to provide quotas for those who are not presently entitled to any quota. The quota given to OBCs, STs and SCs will not be touched. Patidars will get quota under a special category.
- To end contract based systems in all Government jobs and the contractual workers are to be made permanent.
- Every woman who has no house will be provided a subsidised home.
- Special Investigation Teams will be set up to probe the BJP Government’s corruption.
- A media club will be set up and media persons will be provided with subsidised houses. A Corpus will be created to help Journalists and their family members in case of critical illness.
- There will be Fast Track Courts to ensure women’s safety and to deal crimes against women in the State.
- For all self employed youth 200 Sqm plots with 0% down payment and 5 years moratorium in the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) will be provided. The youth will also be provided with the withdrawal of contractual, outsourcing and fixed salary structure and filing of vacancies in Government jobs.
Read More: BJP Manifesto For 2017 Gujarat Assembly Poll Elections
