Telangana election 2018: Congress promises to waive crop loans, fill 1 lakh government jobs in a year in the state

Telangana election 2018: Waiver of all crop loans up to ₹2 lakh in one spell, filling up one lakh government jobs within a year and an increase of retirement age of state government employees are some of the promises made by the Congress in its Telangana polls manifesto.

The Congress party has focused on farmers and employees of the state government and is likely to promise regulation of liquor sale, ban on marriages of girls below 18 years of age, free electricity to places of worship in its manifesto for the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana.

The Congress party has focussed on farmers and employees of the state government among other sections in its manifesto for the upcoming assembly election in Telangana. (PTI/Representative Image)

The 116-page manifesto will be formally released by former Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at the public rally to be held at Medchal on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Friday.

Former deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee’s manifesto committee chairperson Damodar Raja Narasimha said the manifesto would highlight 36 major promises to different sections of people.

Waiver of all crop loans up to ₹2 lakh in one spell, filling up one lakh government jobs within a year and an increase of retirement age of state government employees are some of the promises made by the party in its manifesto.

They also include reimbursement of interest on loans taken from cooperative societies, financial assistance of ₹5,000 per acre to each farmer twice a year towards agricultural investment, provision of minimum support price to 17 different produce, payment of allowance of ₹3,000 per month to all those without a job and declaration of a calendar for recruitments through public service commission.

“The next Congress government vows to free people from the addiction of liquor. It is proposed that all liquor shops and pubs, permit rooms and belt shops will be regulated and controlled as per rules,” according to a copy of the draft manifesto accessed by HT.

“Toddy will be encouraged to provide employment to toddy tappers and stern action will be taken against those involved in sale of Gudamba (locally-distilled illicit liquor), adulterated liquor and drugs,” it said.

The Congress is also likely to promise amending the Child Marriages Act, 2006 to ban marriage of girls below 18 years of age.

“The Congress will take all measures to protect the sanctity of all temples in Telangana. Small temples will be developed to provide all facilities to the devotees,” the draft manifesto said, adding there is a need to take special care of priests through a comprehensive plan.

The Congress also promised a payment of ₹10 lakh to the families of those who had lost their lives during the second phase of the struggle for a separate statehood and pension to their eligible family members.

The grand old party will also earmark 20% of the state budget to the education sector, implement a scheme to reimburse tuition fee to poor students and provide an assistance of ₹5 lakh to eligible households towards housing and ₹6 lakh to those from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST).

It also promised to increase the retirement age of employees from 58 to 60 years, restoration of the old pension scheme in place of the contributory pension scheme and granting of weekly-offs to all police personnel in the state.

The Congress has forged a grand alliance ‘People’s Front, or Maha Kootami, with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and Communist Party of India (CPI) to take on K Chandrashekhar Rao’s TRS in the December 7 elections to the 119-member assembly. Counting of votes will take place on December 11.

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