New Delhi (TIP)- The Congress on Friday, April 5, released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Top leaders of the Congress, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, released the poll manifesto, days before the general elections.
In its manifesto, the Congress laid emphasis on Paanch Nyay or or ’five pillars of justice’, including ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Naari Nyay’, ‘Kisaan Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay’ as well as the guarantees made by it to the people as part of its election promises for Lok Sabha polls.
Key promises
– The Congress said it will fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in central government.
– The Rajasthan model of cashless insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh will be adopted for universal healthcare.
– The Congres will give legal guarantees to MSP announced by the government every year as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
– The Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws. We will encourage reform of personal laws. Such reform must be undertaken with the participation and consent of the communities concerned.
– The Congress said it will conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions and it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC.
“We will abolish application fees for government examinations and government posts. Due to widespread unemployment, as a one-time measure of relief, the amount due including unpaid interest as on 15 March 2024 in respect of all student educational loans will be written off and the banks will be compensated by the government,” said the Congress in the manifesto.
After wide consultation, the Congress will bring a law to recognise civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.
The central government’s contribution to pensions for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities under the National Social Assistance Programme remains a pitiful Rs 200- Rs 500 per month. The Congress will raise this amount to Rs 1,000 per month, said the party.
“We will reserve one-half (50 per cent) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025,” the Congress.
The Congress will enact a separate legislation for the registration of sports federations/bodies/associations which will ensure full compliance with the Olympic Charter, allow for autonomy and full accountability, and provide recourse for members and sportspersons against discrimination, bias, sexual harassment, abuse, wrongful termination, etc. Congress will provide sports scholarships of ?10,000 per month to talented and budding sports persons below the age of 21.
The Congress resolves to launch Mahalakshmi scheme to provide ?1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The poor will be identified among the families in the bottom of the income pyramid.
Source: HT