Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today launched the party's flagship election campaign "Har Ghar Ton Ikk Captain" with the promise of one job in every family backed by an interim unemployment allowance and weaning the state's youth away from drugs.
"The programme aims at providing one job per household to youths between the age of 18-35," he said during the launch that was attended by AICC Secretary Harish Choudhary and former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
The campaign, which will be implemented by Congress' 600-odd ticket aspirants, started with 100 of them receiving registration kits to initiate training of workers, who will take it forward at the district-level.
The party informed that each aspirant has been assigned the task of reaching out to 10,000 youths under the campaign, for which registration started today and will continue till the culmination of the first phase on December 20.
The campaign, aimed at empowering Punjab's youth with the twin objectives, will reach out to 40 lakh households in the first phase, it said.
He asked the prospective candidates to start the registration process with those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
It was informed youths in exchange of employment will pledge to stay away from drugs as part of the campaign themed around the slogan "Captain ne saun chakki har ghar ikk naukri pakki".
Under the mass registration, applicants will be provided a unique ID through the "Berozgari Bhatta Card", which can be activated by dialing a number.
"If the Congress forms government in Punjab, a budget of Rs 10,000 crore will be set aside for the initiative, which will be rolled out within its first 100 days," the party said.
Till such employment is provided, an unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500 per month would be given for up to 36 months, Bhattal announced.
He said such campaigns were aimed at "stemming" the anger and distress among youth and other sections of society, who are "extremely disgruntled with Punjab's present dispensation".
On ticket allocations, Amarinder said women and youth will get their due representation in the upcoming polls.
Reiterating winnability and credibility as main criterion for selection as candidate, he said, "Work on finalising tickets has started, the Congress Screening Committee will meet in New Delhi today and tomorrow."
Congress will have to toil in Punjab to fulfil aspirations of people, especially youth and farmers, who have been "subjugated and victimised under the Badal rule", he said.
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