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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday released two election manifestos promising jobs and all-round economic growth in both the would-be states of Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh.
Out of power for two consecutive terms in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the party has also included certain schemes that had helped the Congress win the previous two elections.
TDP has promised to waive loans to the farm sector and self-help groups (SHGs), provide free power to farmers and cashless treatment facility to poor families and continue the fee reimbursement scheme for students in professional courses among others.
It has also announced new schemes such as at least one job for each household, a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 for the aged and widows, cash assistance of Rs 1,000-2,000 to the unemployed youth, besides houses and toilets for the poor.
The party has promised to make residuary Andhra Pradesh a global manufacturing hub, by setting up growth corridors and enhancing port-based infrastructure and a highway network along the coastline, besides taking steps to grow the economy at 10-15 per cent every year. The party promised to develop an IT corridor in the Kurnool-Anantapur region by linking it to Bangalore on the one side and Hyderabad on the other.
It has also promised to secure tax incentives from the Centre for new industries to the extent of complete tax holiday for the first 10 years, 50 per cent tax exemption for the next 10 years and a 20 per cent tax rebate for the third 10-year term in Andhra Pradesh..
The 52-page document contained elaborate sections on sectors like agriculture and irrigation apart from specific set of promises to certain castes like Kapus and Brahmins besides offering reservations to Muslim youth in education and jobs. The TDP offered to make 5-day week for government employees in addition to increasing the retirement age to 60 years.
The separate election manifesto released for Telangana contained all the populist programmes mentioned in the first document . It promised to develop industries linked to natural resources available in each district.
