CHENNAI: AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami today released the party’s election manifesto with key promises on all sectors. Special emphasis has been given to agriculture, welfare of farmers and fishermen, employment generation, etc.,
Significantly, the AIADMK manifesto said the party would urge Government of India not to bring any amendments to the Constitution for a Uniform Civil Code that will adversely affect the religious rights of minorities of India. This is one of the key objectives of the BJP with whom the AIADMK has forged alliance now.
Another key promise made is urging the Centre to enact due legislation to enable the implementation of the Reservation Policy in Private Sector also, in order to provide social justice to the SC/ST, MBC and BC categories of our people. This has been the demand of PMK, another key ally of the AIADMK now.
The manifesto promised to urge Government of India for the introduction and implementation of a crop insurance scheme for the individual farmers and to declare Cauvery delta as a protected agriculture zone, which is another demand of the PMK.
The AIADMK manifesto also promised to impress upon the Central government to waive the educational loans got by students from nationalized banks and other banks. Besides, the AIADMK would urge the Centre to provide up to a Maximum of Rs. 2,000 to SSLC, Diploma and Degree Holders, according to their qualification, till they get a suitable job.
The manifesto also promised to impress upon the Government of India and TRAI to take notice of the higher cable TV and DTH tariff consumers have to pay in the new system and take necessary action to reduce the additional financial burden for the Indian households
“In order to give relief to the personal income tax assesses of the country, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will take necessary action to increase the income tax exemption limit to
Rs. 8 lakhs and increase the standard deduction to Rs. 1 lakh,” the manifesto said.
The AIADMK has proposed two national level schemes in the name of late leaders of the party - MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The manifesto said the AIADMK would urge the Centre to implement Amma National Poverty Eradication Initiative (ANPEI) - Direct monthly transfer of Rs.1,500 to the needy families of India. The party would also urge the Centre to implement MGR National Skill-upgradation scheme (MGRNSUS) to upgrade the skills of Indian youth for new employment avenues locally and globally.
The manifesto also promised to urge the Central government and the President of India to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for the release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by the Supreme Court of India and approved by the Cabinet of Tamil Nadu government.
Laying emphasis on agriculture-related programmes, the manifesto said AIADMK would urge the Government of India to pursue, obtain, sanction, mobilize finances and help implement three such schemes: I. In Coimbatore district with Noyyal river and the Western Ghats as the base. II. In Namakkal district with river Cauvery as its base. III. Cauvery - Agniyaru - South Vellaru link scheme.
“AIADMK will urge the Union Government to implement special schemes to mitigate the adverse impact of the recession on Agriculture, Industry and service sectors of the economy,” the manifesto said added that the party would urge the Centre to take into consideration, the above aspects and direct the RBI, NABARD, nationalised banks and other banks to reduce considerably the rate of interest levied for loans lent to agriculture-industry and service sectors, besides relaxing the stringent norms related to such loans.
AIADMK will urge Government of India to bring Education from the concurrent list to the State list again, the manifesto said and added that the party would urge the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET examinations.
AIADMK will urge Government of India to enact due legislation to enable the implementation of the Reservation Policy in Private Sector also, in order to provide social justice to the SC/ST, MBC and BC categories of our people.
The other key promises made in the AIADMK manifesto are:
AIADMK will urge Government of India to accept the recommendation of Justice Sachar Committee to treat the Christian - converted SCs/STs, BCs and MBCs and the Muslim-converted SCs/STs/BCs/MBCs as regular SCs/STs/BCs/MBCs and provide them with all concessions now provided for the regular SCs/STs/BCs/MBCs.
AIADMK will urge Government of India to undertake and implement at national-level and in all States. The Girl Child Protection Scheme of Tamil Nadu and the Cradle Baby Scheme of Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK will demand Government of India for the establishment of a National commission for Fishermen Welfare in order to improve the social and economic status of fisher community
AIADMK will demand Government of India to establish SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES for fish processing and fish exports with modern fishing harbours and transport connectivity to enable fishermen to develop economically by fetching better price for their products.
AIADMK, therefore, will urge Government of India to LIFT the ban imposed on the catching of sea cucumber and permit fishermen to have related fishing rights again..
AIADMK will urge Government of India for the creation of a corpus fund for the benefit of Unorganized Workers Welfare Board.
AIADMK will urge Government of India to increase the number of working days of the labourers under Mahatma Gandhi National rural Employment Scheme to 200 Days per person.
AIADMK will urge the Government of India to press the Sri Lankan Government for due devolution of administrative power to the Tamil Eelam regions and for providing Constitutional Guarantee for Eelam Tamils in regard to human rights, property rights, language rights and religious right.
AIADMK will urge Government of India to stop imposition of Hindi in the administration of Central government offices in Tamil Nadu and in certain spheres of the functions of State Government.
AIADMK, therefore, will urge GOI to abolish the Toll Collection System on National Highways.
AIADMK will urge that GODHAVARI-CAUVERI River linkage scheme should be implemented by Government of India immediately for the benefit of farmers at large and for increasing the rural GDP of Tamil Nadu. AIADMK will urge Government of India for nationalisation of all Indian river waterways.
AIADMK will urge GOI to take necessary immediate actions to prevent and restrain Kerala Government from illegally interfering with the endeavour of Tamil Nadu Government to increase the water level in Mullai Periyar Dam to 152 feet.
AIADMK will strongly urge that the proposal for the construction of Mekedatu dam in Karnataka is totally given up by Government of India and by Government of Karnataka in order to protect the irrigation and drinking water requirements of Tamil Nadu
AIADMK will urge that the energy generated in the State of Tamil Nadu through Central Government power projects at Kalpakkam, Koodankulam and Neyveli should be first distributed for the exclusive use of Tamil Nadu and only if any excess energy is generated, such power only can be distributed to the other States.
The AIADMK will continue to press for the complete removal of Article 356 of the Constitution which enables dismissal of elected State Governments, not found in any other Federal systems.
AIADMK will urge the Government of India to come up with a firm policy to waive the loans obtained by small and medium farmers of the Country.
AIADMK will urge Government of India that minimum support price should be fixed for all agricultural produce in order to alleviate the economic plight of the farming community.
AIADMK will insist that Government of India should provide for the economically suffering small and marginal farmers, a 100 per cent subsidy for the inputs like seeds, fertiliser and pesticides etc., .
Taking into account the distressed conditions of the farming community at large, among whom small and marginal farmers constitute the majority, the agricultural loans lent to all farmers by all nationalized banks and cooperative banks of the country should be waived by Government of India.