CHENNAI: The ruling AIADMK, in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, released on Tuesday, set its focus on three key sectors – agriculture and its allied areas including the welfare of the farmers and water management scheme to divert surplus water in rivers to drought-hit areas and poverty eradication and skill development. Besides, the manifesto also promised to work for waiver of agricultural and education loans and reduction of higher cable TV tarif.
The manifesto sought to allay the criticism over forging an alliance with the BJP by speaking against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), an avowed objective of the BJP besides promising to work for ensuring all concessions availed by SCs/STs/BCs/MBCs to those converted as Christians and Muslims. The manifesto said UCC would adversely affect the religious rights of minorities.
Another key promise made was to urge the Centre to enact due legislation to enable the implementation of the reservation policy in private sector also. This has been the demand of the PMK, another key ally of the AIADMK now.
The AIADMK also promised to work for declaring the Cauvery delta areas as a protected agriculture zone, which is a key demand of the PMK. Besides, the AIADMK said it would urge the Centre to provide a maximum of `2,000 to SSLC, diploma and degree holders, till they get a suitable job. “In order to give relief to the personal income tax assesses, the AIADMK will take action to increase the income tax exemption limit to `8 lakh and increase the standard deduction to `1 lakh,” the manifesto said.
The AIADMK has proposed two national-level schemes in the name of the late leaders of the party - MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. One of the schemes is Amma National Poverty Eradication Initiative to ensure monthly payment of `1,500 to the people below poverty line, destitute women, widows without income, differently abled, landless agricultural labourers, urban manual labourers, destitute senior citizens etc.
The second scheme proposed is MGR National Skill Upgradation Scheme (MGRNSUS) to upgrade the skills of Indian youth.
The manifesto said the AIADMK would seek funds for implementing three schemes -in Coimbatore with Noyyal river and the Western Ghats as the base; in Namakkal with the river Cauvery as its base and the Cauvery-Agniyaru- South Vellaru link scheme.
Bringing education from the concurrent list to the State list again, exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET, establishment of a National Commission for Fishermen Welfare, establishing special economic zones for fish processing, and creation of a corpus fund for unorganized workers were the other promises made in the manifesto.
Steps to release Rajiv case convicts
The manifesto also promised to urge the Centre and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to release the seven Tamil convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, as ordered by the Supreme Court