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Lok Sabha elections 2019: Sops galore as Naidu, Jagan release manifestos four days before polls
Both the TDP and the YSR Congress focussed on farmers, women and health care for the underprivileged to woo the voters.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh released their respective election manifestos on Saturday , just four days ahead of the polling for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Unveiling the manifesto after performing special prayers on Ugadi, the Telugu New Year Day, YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy promised to implement total prohibition in the state in three phases. Alcohol would eventually be available only in five star hotels.
The four-page manifesto, comprising nine promises (Navaratnalu) made by Reddy during his marathon 3,860-km long padayatra last year, promises to provide investment support of Rs 50,000 per year to each farmer under “Rythu Bharosa” scheme in four instalments of Rs 12,500 each, starting with onset of Kharif season in May.
Besides, he also promised free crop insurance, interest-free loans, setting up of godowns, cold-storages and food processing plants.
For women, Reddy promised payment of Rs 15,000 per annum under Amma Vodi scheme for sending their kids to schools, Rs 50,000 for DWCRA women groups under YSR Aasara scheme and interest payment for self-help groups; Rs. 75,000 for Backward Classes (BC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and minority women (over the age of 45 years) under YSR Cheyutha, registering of houses in the name of women, Rs 1 lakh for SC, ST, BC and minority women for marriage support etc.
Under the universal health coverage scheme, YSR Congress proposed to provide free health care to all those with less than Rs 5 lakh annual income.
The manifesto also promises jobs to at least 10 youth in every village in village secretariats to be created for decentralised administration. Besides, 3.5 lakh village volunteers would get honorarium of Rs 5,000 per month.
He also promised to fill 2.3 lakh government jobs.
Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2019: For TDP, high-stakes battle to retain power
Among other promises made in the manifesto are enhancement of old age pensions to Rs 3,000 per month with age limit being reduced from 65 to 60 years, creation of separate fund for OBCs with Rs 75,000 crore over five years, similar welfare fund for Kapus and funds for the traditional artisans.
The YSRC also promised reorganization of districts in the state, converting every parliamentary constituency into a district, thereby increasing the number of districts to 25.
Also read: Jagan offered Rs 1500 cr to Congress high command to become CM: Farooq Abdullah
The man Reddy is aiming to dislodge in the April 11 elections, TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu also released his party’s manifesto in the afternoon after Ugadi celebrations at his residence in Amaravati. The TDP gave top billing to farmers with the manifesto promising interest-free loans for farmers without any limit and implementation of “Annadata Sukhibhava” scheme of crop investment assistance of Rs 10,000 per year to each farmer as a permanent measure.
Naidu also promised to create a price stabilization fund of Rs 5,000 crore towards market intervention to ensure remunerative price to farmers. The farmers would also get 12-hour power supply to their crops free of cost.
Naidu also promised creation of an exclusive bank for OBCs with a corpus fund of Rs 10,000 crore and also an Islamic Bank exclusively for Muslims.
Among the other promises made by Naidu in his manifesto are free mobile phones to self-help group (SHG) women, enhancement of group insurance to the SHGs from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, payment of Rs 50,000 to each of 97 lakh women in SHGs under “Pasupu-Kukuma” scheme, Rs 3,000 each towards old age pensions for people with age limit to be reduced to 60 years, increase in unemployment allowance to Rs 3,000 per month.
Special corporations would be set up for SC sub-groups etc, underground drainage facility will be provided for all villages with a population of over 2,000, free laptops will be given for students from Class 11 to post-graduation, marriage gift of Rs 1 lakh will be given to poor couples.
The chief minister also declared that Polavaram major irrigation project would be completed by December end, while Amaravati would be developed as a world class capital city in the next five years.
