Congress manifesto promises sops to Uttar Pradesh women

Lucknow: The Congress has term-ed its alliance with the SP as an “important moment in the history of Indian politics” since the coming together of two parties would give a crushing defeat to divisive forces.

Releasing its manifesto for the ongoing Assembly elections in UP, the Congress vowed to enforce law without fear or favour, to preserve social harmony and to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

AICC general secretary in charge of UP, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and UPCC president Raj Babbar said that the manifesto would strengthen the alliance. “The manifesto actually carries forward the alliance,” Mr Azad said.

Mr Raj Babbar said that when voted to power, the Congress government would take special steps to provide relief to farmers who had narrated their woes to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s yatra last year. He promised that the party would work for loan waivers and half the electricity bills. The manifesto foc-uses on economic empo-werment of women and child development and also guarantees safety of all citizens particularly women and children.

The Congress has promised free school education for every girl child, subsidised education for the male child.

As a token of its alliance with SP, the Congress has promised free bicycle to all girls study in Classes 9th to 12th, apart from Rs 3 lakh grant to Scheduled Caste youth to start a business, up to Rs 2 lakh low-interest loans for minorities, reservation within reservation for OBC and loan waiver for farmers.

The manifesto also lists five police academy training schools, appointing a police ombudsman and setting up of three women police stations in every district.

For the scheduled castes/tribes, OBCs and minorities, the Congress promises residential schools in every block and scholarships for the students. For dalit girls, the state will give Rs 10,000 for marriages and `two lakhs to set up their own business to the youth.

In continuation of the work done by the Samajwadi government, the Congress has promised new expressways connecting the state capital with other corners of the state.

The party manifesto further says that it will ensure proper and quick implementation of the Food Security Act and the Land Acquisition Act. To boost tourism, the Congress plans an International Mango Museum in Malihabad which is the hub of mango production in the state.