Congress releases manifesto, pledges
clean admn
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 11 — The Congress today committed itself to taking "appropriate action" against all those found guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Releasing the party’s manifesto for the Delhi Assembly poll, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief, Ms Sheila Dikshit said the party was committing itself to taking "appropriate action" against all those found guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The 17-page manifesto states that "the Congress commits itself to taking appropriate action against all those held guilty."

On the worsening law and order situation in the Capital, the manifesto said "no area, no section has felt secure during the five years of BJP rule," adding the spurt in incidents had put Delhi on top of the crime graph of the nation.

The party expressing concern over the unprecedented spurt in incidents of murder, rape, theft, kidnapping and extortion, spelt out a number of steps to make Delhi a safe place to live.

The manifesto commits itself to providing a healthy, clean, transparent, efficient and responsive administrative code and promises to prove good governance.

"Objective criteria rather than personal discretion in decision making" would be introduced, the manifesto said, adding that such a measure would remove procedural bottlenecks at all levels.

On the issue of electricity and water, the manifesto said "the BJP government’s criminal neglect of Delhi’s energy needs has rendered the Capital an area of darkness, a veritable haven for thieves and murderers."

Charging the BJP government of not making any attempt to devise new power schemes, the manifesto unveiled a multi-pronged strategy to tide over the problem, it promised the replacement of outdated Indraprastha Thermal Plant by a new gas-based power plant and the setting up of three naphtha-based power plants with 50MW to 100 MW capacity at Dwarka, Kondli Ghroli and Narela.

The functioning of the Delhi Vidyut Board would be reviewed and its efficiency improved, the manifesto said.

It also detailed the short and long-term measures for the greater availability of water in the Capital, including digging of 150 tubewells to yield more than 20 million gallons daily along the marginal bundh in the Alipore area.

The manifesto promises to accord official status or official use for specified purpose in administration, education and information to Urdu and Punjabi and encourage schools to arrange teaching in different languages.

On the issue of unauthorised colonies, the manifesto said the party believed in the regularisation of colonies and constructions which had come into existence up to March 31, 1998.

The manifesto also promised to improve civic conditions in slums by proper provision of water and electricity and improving the sewerage system.

The manifesto said it would take an early and drastic improvement to end the "present chaos" in the transport system.

The Congress would approach the Haryana and UP governments to augment area for housing, the manifesto said.

Meanwhile, the BJP today said that the party had long taken note of the desire of the Sikh community to establish a Guru Tegh Bahadur Chair to pursue the study regarding the life and work of the great martyr.

On the 1984-riots, the BJP said it had "already compensated many of the victims" and those who had been left out for some reasons would also be compensated.

Expressing the need to exempt women from wearing helmets, the BJP said "such an exemption order was passed by the Union Home Minister and the Delhi Chief Minister. However, it has not been possible to implement the order because of the coming into effect of the model code of conduct." The order would be implemented after the completion of the poll process, the party added.