)
Main Opposition party Congress has attempted to lure the farmers community by promising pensions and free power for them in its manifesto ahead of the polls for Odisha Assembly.
As per its poll agenda, the party would form a Farmers’ Pension scheme and would include minor and landless farmers in it. Similarly, farm labourers and female farmers would get at least Rs 2,000 per month as allowance.
It said, the farmers would be exempted from payment of water tax if there is no irrigation facility and farm loan upto Rs 25,000 would be written off. Besides, loan up to Rs 10 lakh would be extended at one per cent interest rate for cultivation of fruits and vegetable, pisciculture and poultry, the party said. It also proposed to hike the Old Age pension amount to Rs 1,000 per month, if it gets the chance to form government in the state.
For the jobless youth, who are registered with the employment exchange, the manifesto has prescribed doles.
Speaking about atrocities and corruption by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, the Opposition party said, it would take steps to recover Rs 60,000 crore which is alleged to have been siphoned off by unscrupulous mine owners as per the report of the Shah Commission of enquiry. The money would be recovered by auctioning the assets of the miners, it said.
“Congress will provide good governance and get scams related to mining, water allocation, land allotment and chit fund investigated by CBI,” said Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Jaydev Jena during the launch of the party manifesto for Odisha.
In order to provide corruption-free administration, an empowered and strong Lokayukta would be set up in the state by undertaking necessary amendments in the law, he added. To preserve the mining assets of the state, steps would be taken to provide mining lease to state undertaking companies. Besides, review of the status of all memorandum of understanding (MoUs) signed by the BJD government with industries will be another priority if Congress comes to power in Odisha, the party leaders said. “All landless persons would be identified and would be provided with permanent land title and pucca house in a time-bound manner,” the PCC chief said.
To appease urban slum dwellers, Jena said, they would be provided with pucca houses.
For minority welfare, the party promised a Minority Commission and special policy for their security. It would also take initiatives to introduce reservation for SEBC (Socially Economically Backward Caste) community as per provisions mentioned in Constitution.
Analysing voting patterns of recent Urban Local Body elections and Panchayat polls, the manifesto said, people of Odisha have limited their choice between BJD and Congress and hence, asserted its win in the upcoming polls.
To woo the population of western and southern Odisha, where it has relatively better presence, Congress said, recommendations would be made for establishment of permanent benches of Orissa High Court in western and southern regions of the state, while steps would be taken for setting up four medical colleges in these regions. The headquarters of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) would also be shifted to a location in western district to make it more effective, Jena said.
