The Congress in Telangana on Friday, November 17 launched its manifesto, promising to increase the reservations for Backward Class (BC) communities in the state after undertaking a caste census if it comes to power. The manifesto was released by party national president Mallikarjun Kharge along with other leaders at Gandhi Bhavan, the party’s head office in Hyderabad. The main opposition party has also said that it will set up an independent inquiry by a sitting High Court judge to look into alleged irregularities and corruption in the state’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project, amongst other promises like providing free Wi-Fi and internet facilities to all students in the state.
Important highlights from the Congress’s Telangana manifesto:
- Hold a Praja Darbar (public court) every day at the Chief Minister’s camp office.
- Provide a monthly honorary pension of Rs 25,000 to the parents or spouse of the martyrs of the first and second phases of the Telangana movement, and to provide a government job to one member of their family.
- Withdraw cases against activists who participated in the Telangana movement, apart from allocating them land of 250 yards for housing.
- Crop loans for farmers up to Rs 2 lakh, interest-free crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh and uninterrupted 24 hours free power.
- Filling up 2 lakh vacant posts transparently within a specified time period.
- Increase in allocation of budget for education sector from the present 6% to 15%.
- Increase in monthly salary of mid-day meal workers working in all government schools to Rs 10,000 and reopening of about 6,000 closed schools.
- Introduction of village volunteer system to help target groups to access various government programmes for the rural people.
- Financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per year to every auto rickshaw driver.
- Completely abolish belt shops.
- Establishment of three new corporations for the Madigas, Malas, and other SC sub-castes after SC categorisation.
- Increased reservations based on population for BCs after conducting a caste census for Backward Classes (BC) 5% reservation for nomadic tribes/denotified tribes in education and employment opportunities.
- Issue gender reassignment certificates and identity cards to transgender people.
- Osmania Hospital structure will be preserved as a heritage monument, while ensuring modern health care infrastructure is developed within the hospital campus
- Provide free electric scooters to every girl studying higher education and are above the age of 18.
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