M A I N   N E W S

TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE
Houses for all in 5 yrs
Cong manifesto woos all sections
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7
Seeking to match populism with pragmitism, the Congress manifesto for the forthcoming Himachal Pradesh elections holds promises for all sections of people in the hill state.

The manifesto, which will be released soon, promises to provide a job for at least one person from each below-the-poverty-line family, regularise the services of those ad hoc teachers who have completed at least five years of service, fill vacancies of teachers within a time frame specially in tribal area schools, fill all posts in the sub-cadre for backward areas within six months and increase pension being given to poor, old, widows and disabled and to link it with the price index.

The manifesto, which carries a visual of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the front, promises to increase the daily wages of labourers to Rs 75 and regularise the services of labourers who have completed seven years in service.

It promises to fill vacancies of doctors, nurses and medical employees within a year and re-create posts of doctors at primary health centres which have abolished by the Dhumal government.

The Congress promises to provide potable drinking water to all villages within three years, give preference to Himchalis in employment in hydel projects given to the private sector, develop Dharamsala as the winter capital, reorganise districts keeping in view the interests of the people of the state and revive the development fund for assembly constituencies.

The manifesto, a copy of which is with “The Tribune”, promises that no one will be homeless in five years. It assures to set up shelters for poor and rehabilitation centres in each district, provide 10,000 houses every year for the homeless, review taxes imposed by the BJP government on the health sector, pay attention to expand rail network, link panchayats to main roads in five years and make efforts to set up a helicopter corporation.

It says that the Congress government would approach the Centre for according tribal status to areas like Giripar in Sirmaur, the Chohar valley in Mandi, Chota-Bada Bhangal in Kangra, Dadra Kwar in Shimla and some panchayats in Chura (Chamba), Rampur, Kulu and places where Lavana and Brad tribesmen live.

The manifesto promises to turn back the attempts of the BJP to “communalise’’ education, provide a place for every houseless Dalit family. It pledges to publicise right to information, emulate the Sarkar Aapke Dwar scheme of the Madhya Pradesh Government for an on-the-spot redress of grievances and make available information relating to a district administration at the state government’s website.

The Congress promises that the panchayats will be given financial and administrative powers in the first year and a scheme of rewards and punishment would be introduced.

It says that the government would be made accountable and transparent and an administrative reforms tribunal will be set up.

The manifesto promises that government offices would be made paperless, the CM will keep in touch with the district administration through video-conferencing and special cell will be created to deal with queries and complaints made through e-mail.

It says that mandis in the state will be provided Internet, subsidy would be given to irrigation schemes and assures to organise an `international apple festival. It promises subsidy for small farmers growing fruits and flowers.

The manifesto says that policies for investment in Baddi and Parwanoo industrial areas will be reviewed to attract international investors.

It assures to develop a permanent venue for national and international exhibitions, promote employment of locals in industry. The Congress promises to make tourism a people’s movement, evolve special schemes to boost youth tourism, create special job-oriented scheme related to tourism, promote amusement parks, give subsidy for setting up small cinema houses and involve ex-servicemen in boosting adventure tourism.

The Congress promises to approach the Centre for subsidy on LPG to prevent illegal felling of trees, fill vacancies of forest guards, encourage animal husbandry by ensuring remunerative price for milk.

It promises to implement midday meal scheme in schools, start special-category scholarships and make efforts to set up technical university for nursing and para-medical staff.

It promises to distribute surplus land among Dalits, Adivasis and landless within a time frame, change laws that come in the way of equitable distribution of “community’s resources.’’

The manifesto promises to change laws to fix wages of Dalit agriculturists, provide equal wages to male and female labourers, give them job security and approve liberal grants for backward areas.

It promises to not transfer employees working in tribal areas till they complete tenure of ‘sub-cadre’ and set up a department in HPU on culture of tribes.

It assures to protect rights of Adivasis regarding forests and provide appropriate compensation in cases where land had been used for development purposes.

The manifesto promises compulsory free and higher education to people belonging to SCs and STs with focus on technical education and provide representation to the SCs and STs in state undertakings, universities, educational institutions and registered organisations.

The manifesto assures to make the functioning of state Sainik Welfare Board and ex-servicemen welfare corporation more effective, formulate policy for giving jobs to ex-servicemen in government undertakings, open a ex-servicemen cell in CM’s office, urge the Centre to open a national university relating to defence, make efforts towards health care of ex-servicemen and involve them in transport schemes.

It assures to sort out pension cases in a time frame, give preference to Himachalis in a appointment of doctors and other posts and provide mobile and satellite-based health care.