CHANDIGARH: The Jannayak Janta Party on Thursday released its poll manifesto for the October 21 Haryana Assembly polls, promising to reserve 75 per cent of jobs for the local youth and waive loans taken by farmers from the cooperative banks.
The 10-month-old JJP, which is independently fighting the assembly polls this time, also tried to woo other sections of society, including Dalits, with 160 promises made in its manifesto.
But its focus remained the youth, which constitute a sizeable chunk of nearly 1.83 crore voters of the state.
If voted to power, the JJP promised to bring "Right to Work Act", under which jobs will be given as per one's qualification.
"Seventy-five per cent jobs will be reserved for the youth of Haryana," JJP leader KC Bangar said while releasing the election manifesto.
With political opponents making unemployment in Haryana a major poll plank, the JJP promised that a separate employment ministry will be set up in the state and its main task will be to provide jobs.
The party, led by former Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala (31), promised to give monthly assistance of Rs 11,000 per month to unemployed youth while a student from rural areas will be given extra 10 marks when they appear in competitive examinations in the state.
According to the manifesto released in Hindi, 'Haryana Security Force' will be set up which will generate employment for the youth.
Healthy Haryana Clubs will be set up in every village to keep the youth from falling into drug menace.
For the farmers, loans taken by them from cooperative banks will be waived and farmers' land will not be auctioned on loan default, a bonus of 10 per cent or Rs 100 will be given over Minimum Support Price and tractors will be exempted from the ambit of amended motor vehicles' Act.
Round-the-clock power will be supplied to villages, the party said.
Crop insurance will be done only by state insurance companies and no Change of Land Use fee will be charged if farmers start any agri-business on their land.
The JJP promised that liquor vends within village limits will be closed.
The party promised to bring changes in the Motor Vehicle Act to give relief to people who are burdened with "paying hefty fines now".
Alleging that people outside the state are occupying plum positions in the ML Khattar regime, the JJP promised that chairpersons of various boards, corporations, OSDs, vice-chancellors and registrars of universities will be Haryana domiciled people.
The party promised free education to girls till PhD level, fee of private schools will be regulated and 20 per cent seats will be reserved for poor children in private schools.
Collateral-free loans up to Rs 3 lakh will be given to physically challenged, poor, Scheduled Caste and other needy sections of society.
The party promised to build a grand temple of St Ravidass in Kurukshetra if voted to power while a Scheduled Caste Commission and Backward Class Welfare Board will be set up.
Old age pension of Rs 5,100 will be given while a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000 for bringing up two children will be given to every mother.
For the old age pension, eligibility age will be 55 for women and 58 for males.
On the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, party promised that apex court's decision will be implemented and efforts will be made so that every field gets water.
Among other promises by the party, minimum wages will be fixed at Rs 16,000 in Haryana.
The strength of the judges in various courts will be increased and a law will be framed which will set a time limit for a case to be decided, according to the manifesto.
Replying to a question, Bangar said the party was yet to make calculations how much money will be needed to fulfil its poll promises.
He, however, said that a chunk of resources can be generated "by cutting down on wasteful expenditure which the present BJP government in the state indulged in, like organising some mega-events which did not give much benefit to common people".
"We are a party based on Chaudhary Devi Lal's ideology and principles. We are saying we will bring back those times of 'Tau' Devi Lal when every section of society used to be happy and prosperous,"Bangar said.
The JJP was floated by former Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala in December last year after a vertical split in the Indian National Lok Dal (NLD), following a feud in the Chautala clan.