Odisha Cong releases poll manifesto. Here’re key promises

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of Congress today released its election manifesto ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state.

Here are the key promises made by the party in the manifesto for Odisha and its people:

* Every family from the poorest 20% of the population will be guaranteed a minimum income of Rs 72,000/year (Rs 6,000/month). Money to be given to a woman of the family.

* Loan waiver for farmers up to Rs 2 lakh.

* Money of those farmers, who have repaid the loan, will be refunded.

* Monthly pension of Rs 1500 for farmers above 60 years of age.

* Financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per year to farmers for 3 years.

* Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2600 per quintal for paddy.

* Government or private job will be provided to one member of each family.

* Unemployment allowance of Rs 3000 per month.

* Free education for women till +2 course. Free higher education, including MBBS and Engineering courses, for women in Government Colleges.

* Old-age pension of Rs 1500 per month. Rs 2,000/month pension for widows and single women above 60 years of age. Rs 2,000 per month old-age pension for those above 70 years of age.

* 33 per cent quota for women in government jobs.

* A 5-year plan will be unveiled to provide homestead land to every landless family in a village and shelter for every urban homeless family by 2024.

* Regularisation of contractual jobs in public sector.

* Drinking water supply to every house by 2024.

* A special legislation on the chit fund scam will be brought and principal deposits of victims will be refunded within six months

* Anganwadi workers to be taken on regular service with a higher pay of Rs 9,000/month.

* Incubation fund of Rs 1 crore/block to support women entrepreneurs.

* Every police station will have a dedicated women desk to address violence against women.

* Comprehensive and credible initiative to curb alcoholism will be unveiled within 100 days.

* Allocation of 20% of state budget for education.

* Salary of teachers in Odisha to be paid at par with Central scales.

* All vacancies of doctors and nurses will be filled within a year.

* Every district will have a medical college and a training centre for paramedics and nurses.

* The public distribution system will be extended to provide subsidized ration to all households. It will also be expanded to include provision of dal, millets, edible oil, sugar and salt.

* An Integrated Coastline Development Policy will be brought to harness the true potential of Odisha’s coastline. It will aim to promote exports, farming, fisheries, agro-processing business, tourism, transportation and ports in a mutually beneficial manner.

* To support rural industries, a massive rural infrastructure development programme will be launched, which will be leveraged to revamp the MGNREGA program, with higher wages and 150 days of guaranteed employment. Aim is to end distress migration by 2024.