 "Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge")
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara and party leader Sachin Pilot, along with others, launched the party's election manifesto in Jaipur on Tuesday during a public meeting. The manifesto dubbed "Jan Ghoshna Patra" promises caste census in the state and a new scheme for recruitment at the panchayat level. The party also promised reservation to minorities on basis of their population after the caste census.
For farmers, Congress has promised Rs 2 lakh interest-free loan and minimum support price (MSP) according to Swaminathan Commission report. Chaired by Professor M S Swaminathan, the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) was formed in 2004 and submitted five reports between the years 2004 and 2006, suggesting ways to enhance the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the major farming systems in India. The Swaminathan Commission had advised the central government to raise the MSP to at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production.
The party further promised to increase the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh annually and interest-free loan up to Rs 5 lakh to small traders.
The Congress party also announced 150-day employment under MGNREGA in place of present 125 days annually, inclusion of taxi drivers in Gig Workers Act, Accountability and Auto Service Delivery Act for accountable and good governance, and formation of inclusive policy think tank and monthly honorarium to Panchayati Raj public representatives.
Kharge further stated that Congress would create 1 million job opportunities in the state in the next five years, including 400,000 government jobs.
The manifesto comes after CM Gehlot already made seven guarantees for the state. These guarantees include an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to women head of the family, cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 to 10.05 million families, purchase of dung from cattle rearers at Rs 2 per kg, law for old pension scheme for government employees, laptop or tablet to students taking admission in government colleges, insurance cover up to Rs 15 lakh per family to compensate losses due to natural calamity, and school education in English medium.
Upon the release of the manifesto, CM Gehlot also promised that the Rajasthan economy would reach Rs 15 trillion by year-end and that he targets to make it Rs 30 trillion by 2030.
"Rajasthan has always been a stronghold of the Congress. We have always made promises that could be fulfilled," stated Congress president Kharge.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already released its manifesto for the state.
The Assembly elections in Rajasthan will be held on November 25 and votes will be counted on December 3.
