It promises, among other things, a judicial inquiry into the BRS government's alleged corruption, and return of the old pension scheme.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge releasing the party manifesto. (X)
The Telangana Congress Manifesto, christened Abhaya Hastam, was unveiled by party president Mallikarjun Kharge at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday, 17 November.
A please-all document, the manifesto is a compilation of the six guarantees announced on 17 September after the party’s plenary in the Telangana capital, the assurances given in various community-specific declarations — as well as a host of new promises.
It also seeks to steal the BRS’ thunder by stoking the Telangana sentiment with its special focus on the martyrs of the agitation for a separate state.
Granular in terms of detail, the manifesto has something for everyone — from various communities to government employees — and covers practically every conceivable area of governance, and also includes the promise to nail the alleged corruption during the BRS regime.
Releasing the document, Kharge said: “The Congress wants to explain to people what it intends to do after coming to power. The manifesto has been drafted keeping in mind the aspirations of the people. Anyway, people want to see the last of [Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao] KCR and the latter has reconciled to retiring to his farmhouse.”
Elections to the 119-member Telangana Assembly are scheduled for 30 November.
The very first promise that is made in the manifesto is ensuring democracy in the state which, the party feels, is at peril in the hands of the dictatorial rule of Telangana Chief Minister KCR.
The manifesto said: “To end the unprecedented dictatorship of the present TRS/BRS government, the Congress party is committed to restoring democratic governance as per the spirit and wishes of the Telangana people. As in the past, the Congress government is committed to restoring ‘Praja Darbar’ daily at the CM’s camp office.”
The manifesto made it clear that MLAs, too, will be constantly available to the people of their respective constituencies and hold regular Praja Darbars.
Another touchy issue that the Congress has brought forward is the welfare of the families of the Telangana martyrs and the protagonists of the movement for a separate state. The party promised allotment of 250 sq yards house sites to them.
The martyrs of the first and last phase of the Telangana movement will be identified, officially recognised, and a
government job will be given to one person from their family, the manifesto promised.
Additionally, a monthly honorary pension of ₹25,000 will be given to the mother/father/wife of the martyrs.
All cases filed against the youth who participated in the agitation will be withdrawn and, on 2 June, they will be
given an official government ID card.
The manifesto also promised an inquiry by a retired high court judge into various scandals and corruption allegations during the rule of the TRS/BRS government.
This apart, the party promised to bring forth the Right to Public Services Act and a comprehensive portal will be set up to receive public complaints and address them. A toll-free number will be created for these public
complaints.
The party also proposed to review and reorganise districts and mandals and create a few more districts. In deference to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, one of the districts will be named after him.
Eyeing the support of government employees, the Congress promised to revive the Old Pension Scheme, the OPS, which benefits employees immensely after retirement. Under the scheme, the retired employees will stand to get a pension more than their last drawn salary as the years roll by.
The party promised a new Pay Revision Commission for government employees and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation staff, and implement its recommendations within six months.
Health cards will be issued to all government employees and pensioners to cover all major diseases in all major super-specialty hospitals.
The hallmark of Congress — priority to agriculture — was visible in its promise of setting up a Farmers’ Commission and unveiling a New Agriculture Policy.
The commission will offer permanent resolution of outstanding farm issues and prepare a new crop-planning schedule considering the climatic conditions of Telangana, with the aim of making agriculture more profitable.
The party promised a waiver of crop loans of farmers up to ₹2 lakh, provision of interest-free crop loans of up to ₹3 lakh, and uninterrupted, free, 24-hour power supply to their pump sets. A comprehensive crop insurance scheme will be provided for all major crops.
As unemployment is one of the emotive and pressing issues on which the Congress is fighting the election, it promised transparent government job recruitment — even announcing a schedule for the same.
The party said it will fill two lakh government jobs in the first year of its governance and also the clear the backlog of posts for the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Backward Class (SC/ST/BC) and minority communities. The Congress is also committed to coming out with a job calendar with vacancies in all departments by 2 June, with the recruitment being completed by 17 September.
The party promised an unemployment allowance of ₹4,000 to every unemployed youth till they get jobs. It said it would bring forth a new law to revamp the Telangana States Public Service Commision (TSPSC) to make it function on the lines of UPSC.
Telangana will be transformed into a state with zero unemployment through a centralised online registration portal, creating employment exchanges in seven-plus zones, and establishing skill development centres in every district.
Fee reimbursement will be provided for students belonging to SC, ST, BC, minority, and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) categories, and all old dues will be cleared.
Electric scooters will be provided to all young women above 18 years of age who are pursuing education.
Steps will be taken to increase reservations for SCs to 18 percent in proportion to their population, as also ensure implementation of A, B, C, D categorisation of reservation for the community.
It promised to implement the Ambedkar Abhaya Hastham, a scheme to provide financial assistance of ₹12 lakh per family to SCs and STs within five years starting from 2023-24, by providing requisite budget allocation in every year’s budget.
All the lands assigned to SCs and STs, but usurped by BRS government, will be restored to the original assignees, with all the rights. When lands are acquired for public purposes under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, the assigned lands will be treated on par with patta lands for payment of compensation, the manifesto promised.
A caste census will be conducted within six months of forming the government, and fair reservation will be ensured for all BCs and minorities in government jobs and educational institutions, as well as in welfare schemes.
BC reservations will be increased based on the caste census and the BC Commission’s report — all within six months of assuming power.
The party said they would build a portal called “Bhumata” in place of the Dharani portal and justice will be done to all farmers who lost their land rights. A Land Commission to resolve all land rights issues will be set up. The party also promised to return 25 lakh acres to the rightful beneficiaries which were distributed to the poor through land reforms.
The Congress party also promised that it would not allow the privatisation of the Singareni company under any circumstances.
The party vowed to fight for the state’s legitimate share of the Krishna river waters, national project status for Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, provide irrigation facility the upper regions of Adilabad and
other districts by completing the Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project.
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