BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to steal a march over the BJD and BJP, the Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha with 90 promises and nine guarantees for people of the state.
In line with the central party, Congress announced it will guarantee 27 per cent reservation for OBCs and SEBCs in educational institutions and government jobs pending a socio-economic caste census. The party also guaranteed refund of chit fund amount to the depositors within six months of assuming office.
The manifesto announced that the caste-based socio-economic census will be started in the state within 100 days of coming to office. It also announced that within 1,000 days of assuming office, no one in the state will be left without homestead land. If required, government will purchase land for allotment to the poor, it added.
The manifesto announced it will set up minority, SC and ST commissions. Besides, the party promised that within 100 days of its coming to office, the government will withdraw all criminal cases against SCs and STs relating to land disputes. The rules for PESA will be formulated within 100 days of coming to power.
The manifesto released by Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak along with other senior leaders promised to hike the minimum support price of paddy to `3,000 per quintal and waive all farm loans. Besides, it issued a guarantee to pay pension of `2,000 to farmers every month.
The party issued guarantee to provide 2,000 units of free electricity to every domestic consumer and LPG cylinder to every family at `500 to lure middle class voters. Alleging the BJD government in the state and the BJP-led government at the Centre have failed to take steps to solve the growing unemployment problem, the party guaranteed jobs to five lakh youth and unemployment allowance of `3,000 per month for three months after coming to power in the state. The guarantee includes monthly allowance of `2,000 to elderly, widows and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
In order to woo women voters, the party guaranteed waiver of bank loans of all women self-help groups and pay `2,000 per month to every woman head of a household under Grihalaxmi Yojana.
The guarantee issued by the party also included free treatment of up to `25 lakh in government and private hospitals. This will be applicable to all government servants too.