Bhubaneswar: April 07: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee released its election manifesto ‘Asiba Congress Hasiba Odisha’ today. OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik released the Election Manifesto with other senior Congress leaders.
Congress has given priority for ‘Minimum Income Guarantee’. As per the Manifesto, every family from the poorest 20% of the population will be guaranted a minimum income of Rs.72, 000/-per year (Rs.6000/Month) and the said amount will be given to the women of the family.
The Manifesto promised job for one person in every family. The jobless will be entitled to an unemployment allowance of Rs.3000/-per Month. As per the Manifesto, a five-year plan will be made to provide homestead land to every landless family in a village and shelter for every urban landless homeless family.
Manifesto has also given priority to the farmers. Crop loans up to Rs.2 lakh per family will be waived within the first 10 days of Congress Government and farming families will get a special financial assistance of Rs.10,000 annually for next three years.
Congress also guaranteed remunerative prices for all major farm and forest produce; paddy to be brought at Rs.2, 600 per quintal. Also, it has promised to amend the laws and policies to ensure sharecroppers get the same benefits as land-owning cultivators.
Congress in its Manifesto says, besides 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State Assembly, it will enforce 33% reservations in central and state government jobs. Besides, it will create an incubation fund of Rs.1 crore/block to support women entrepreneurs.
Besides, Congress manifesto said, all contractual workers in the public sector will be taken on regular service. There shall be no contractual employment in teaching, healthcare and social security services.
To protect the dalit rights, it will have exclusive Dalit Protection Cells and Special Courts in every district to expedite cases of atrocities and also, landless dalits will get priority in land distribution.
In education sector, Congress commits to bring a comprehensive state education policy within a year and right to education will be extended upto Class XII.
In Health Sector, Congress decides to increase the Health Budget to provide free diagnostics, medicines and surgery.
Manifesto mentions to give emphasis on fostering small and medium enterprises that seek to leverage local skills and resources. Creative industries such as tourism, textiles, art and handicrafts and agro-based industries will be promoted. Labour-supporting, and not labour-displacing, technologies will be supported.
