New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday unveiled its election manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, titled ‘Haath Badlega Haalat.’ In their address, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Tariq Hameed Karra said that the past decade has deeply scarred the heart of Kashmir and it is now time for healing. They also said that their manifesto, described as the ‘people’s manifesto,’ is based on inputs collected from their teams.
Pawan Khera further said that the people have no outlet to express their grievances because Delhi governs directly. He described Kashmir as a “graveyard of dreams.” Regarding the manifesto, Khera said that it is not merely a collection of promises but a document focused on rights, as the entire constitution is built on the principles of rights and entitlements. During the manifesto’s release, the party made several major announcements concerning employment, women’s issues and governance.
Here are the list of announcements
The party has outlined several commitments for women in its manifesto. If Congress comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir, it plans to provide Rs 3,000 monthly to woman heads of families from economically weaker sections through the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana.’ Apart from that, under the ‘Sakhi Shakti’ scheme, every woman will be eligible for an interest-free loan of up to Rs 5 lakh from self-help groups. The party also promises to establish Mahila Police Cells in all police stations.
On employment, the party has pledged that a Congress government will provide an unemployment allowance of up to Rs 3,500 per month to the youth for one year. That apart, it will fill 1 lakh vacant government positions across various departments. A job calendar will also be released within 30 days to address the recruitment of these vacant government posts.
In its announcement concerning farmers, Congress said that if elected, it will provide Rs 4,000 in assistance to landless farmers or those who cultivate rented land. Other than that, the government will arrange a 99-year lease for landless farmers working on state land. A minimum price of Rs 72 per kg for apple crops will be ensured and 100 per cent crop insurance will be offered for all crops to protect against natural disasters.
