M A I N   N E W S

Cong to woo voters with water, power sops
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

The promises Right to housing, health, hygiene and drinking water Potato-onion stores to prevent price fluctuations Cheap power by adding 75,000 MW in five years One AIIMS-like institute in every state 2 crore jobs a year for youth Right to privacy in context of gay rights.

New Delhi, March 15
Congress draft manifesto, a copy of which is with The Tribune, has an AAP imprint. Take a look: Free drinking water, cheap potato-onion stores, an audit of private power firms and a house
per family.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has promised cheap power (by adding 75,000 MW power over five years if elected) and free water. Congress strategists have gone a step further to promise the “Right to Drinking Water” and said it would be the government’s responsibility to provide free and safe drinking water.

Although UPA-II was unable to deal with inflation -- as promised in the 100-day agenda unveiled following the 2009 LS elections -- the ruling Congress is again set to list out a 100-day agenda for UPA-III. The thrust will be on improving systems and giving guarantees.

The draft manifesto fine-tuned at a meeting of party’s Manifesto Committee headed by Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday promises four rights: the Right to Housing (one house per family); the Right to Health (one AIIMS-like institute in each state), Right to Drinking Water and Right to Hygiene. Steps to be taken to achieve these guarantees have been listed in the manifesto which, Congress leaders claim, was still being finalised.

Inflation will receive particular attention, with the party set to promise special potato and onion storage facilities to prevent price fluctuations. The draft talks about amending archaic mandi laws in states to enable farmers to sell directly to the consumer.