From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Just a week ahead of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections on November 12, the Congress on Saturday released its election manifesto, promising to revive the old pension scheme, 300 free units of electricity, subsidy on purchase of four cows per household, buying 10 kg milk from dairy farmers, a committee to help the apple farmers and Rs 10 crore ‘StartUp fund’ in each constituency.
######################################- Four times compensation on land acquisition;
— Monthly income of Rs 1500 to women in the age group of 18-60;
— Farmers will decide price of their produces themselves;
— Minimum support price for all types of apples;
— Setting up of agriculture and farm commission;
— Food processing park in Solan district;
— Modern milk processing units in all regions;
— Govt purchase of 10 litres of milk every day;
— Govt dung purchase at Rs 2 per kilo;
— Free medicines in the district veterinary hospitals; and
— One lakh government jobs in first cabinet meeting and jobs altogether to 5 lakh youth.
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Missing from release of the manifesto at the party office in Shimla was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who was campaigning elsewhere as the chief campaigner in the state. The manifesto was released by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, along with in-charge general secretary Rajeev Shukla and other senior party leaders including Rani Pratibha Singh, widow of former 6-term chief minister Raja Virbhadra Singh, PCC president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and AICC secretaries Tejinder Pal Bittu and Manish Chatrath.
If elected to power, the Congress also promised jobs to Rs 5 lakh youths and monthly aid of Rs 1500 to women, besides opening four English medium schools in every constituency and free medical aid in every village through mobile clinics.
The Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor, urging the voters not to re-elect the BJP in the state. Its leaders said the manifesto is a document for the development and welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh.
