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Maha polls: Cong-NCP releases manifesto, promises 80% jobs for locals
Flagging unemployment as one of the biggest issues facing Maharashtra, the alliance of Opposition parties, in their manifesto released on Monday, announced reservation
Flagging unemployment as one of the biggest issues facing Maharashtra, the alliance of Opposition parties, in their manifesto released on Monday, announced reservation of up to 80% for locals in industries.
The 51-page manifesto, Shapathnama, released by the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and their smaller allies, promises an unemployment allowance of ₹5,000 to jobless youths and a blanket loan waiver for farmers.
The sons-of-the-soil agenda, especially in jobs, has been the central poll plank of the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra has a rule that 80% jobs in industries must be kept aside for domiciled residents, but the Opposition claimed it has not been implemented on ground. The Andhra Pradesh government recently passed a bill to impose 75% quota for locals in industrial units.
“To tackle unemployment, we plan to reserve 80% jobs in industries for locals. This will be implemented by bringing in a legislation and a separate policy to ensure it gets implemented,” said Balasaheb Thorat, state Congress president.
State NCP chief Jayant Patil pointed out that the recent response to government job advertisements were an indicator of rising unemployment in the state. “For 32,000 vacancies, the state received 32 lakh applications. To deal with the situation, we will provide unemployment allowance to jobless youths,” he said.
The poll manifesto also stressed that the agriculture sector of the state is in a bad position. “We need to take steps to correct it. To begin with, farm loans will be waived within the first four months of the government being formed. Boosting agricultural productivity and ensuring proper remuneration to farm produce will be a priority,” states the manifesto.
It further promised to bring Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana for farmers, on the lines of the Madhya Pradesh government, under which the state will pay farmers the difference between the official minimum support price (MSP) and the rate at which they sell their crops in the market. Paddy growers from eastern Vidarbha will get ₹3,000 a quintal as MSP for their produce.
In the light of public outcry over cutting of trees for Metro car shed at Aarey, the parties plan to focus on environmentally sustainable development. The manifesto has promised zero-tolerance policy on environment protection. It has sops for all sections of society. Senior citizens have been promised a monthly pension of ₹1,500, labourers have been promised a minimum monthly wage of ₹21,000 (to be implemented in phases) and employees of Ola, Uber, Zomato, Swiggy have been promised a welfare policy. Ten lakh girls, who have cleared their SSC exams, have been promised laptops in the first year, if their government comes to power.
“All citizens of the state will be covered under a health insurance scheme, and a super specialty hospital will be constructed in all districts. Property tax up of all houses up to 500sqft will be waived,” states the manifesto. “We want to make education free from KG (kindergarten) to PG (post-graduation). In the first phase, education in all government and aided schools and colleges will be made free up to graduation,” said the document.
For Mumbai, the Opposition has promised to complete all pending development projects within three years and 50% grants for constructing toilets for women at suburban railway stations. The manifesto also promises to take stern measures in order to prevent encroachments on ecologically sensitive areas. Further, it promises to restore all open spaces that were removed from Development Plan 2034. It has also mentioned that it will set up ‘Centre for Excellence’ for entertainment sector to create skilled labour for the industry.
