SRINAGAR: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday announced five guarantees for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including filling up of 1 lakh vacancies and Rs 25 lakh health insurance per family, if the Congress-NC alliance is voted to power in the Union territory. He also said the Congress will fight for restoration of statehood to J&K.
“You must have heard that Union territories have become states. Goa was a UT and it has become a state. But J&K was a state and the Modi government converted it into UT. Don’t let BJP come here,” Kharge said while addressing an election rally in favour of NC-Congress alliance candidate Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed in Anantnag district.
“We will ensure that J&K gets statehood. For that we will fight,” he said. Announcing five guarantees, Kharge said, “We will fill 1 lakh vacancies lying vacant in J&K, thus ensuring employment opportunities for the unemployed youth. They want to make J&K people poor and that is why they are not filling the posts.
They have not brought big factories or manufacturing factories here.” He further said, “We will provide healthcare for all by providing Rs 25 lakh health insurance coverage to every family member in J&K. To empower women entrepreneurs, we will provide Rs 5 lakh interest-free loans for women in self-help groups to support their financial independence.
Under ‘Mahila Samman’, we will provide Rs 3000 monthly support for female heads of households and enhance rice quota to per family member 11 kgs from the existing 5 kg to enhance food security.”
Kharge said OBC rights will be protected as per the Constitution of India. He also said if voted to power, NC- Congress alliance will restore the legislative council (upper house) in J&K.
“If somebody says how will you do it, when the public will be with us, we will do it and they can’t do anything,” he said. After abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two UTs by the Centre on August 5, 2019, J&K Legislative Council was disbanded.