Congress woos Himachal voters with 10 guarantees

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Shimla, August 31

Accusing the BJP of failing to fulfil the promises it made during the 2017 Assembly poll, the Congress today unveiled its 10 guarantees to woo the electorate ahead of the state poll due in November.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, the party’s chief observer for the Himachal poll, announced the 10 guarantees to woo every section of society, including employees, fruit growers, women and youth. Rahul Gandhi too tweeted about the guarantees, terming them “Devbhoomi se Congress ka sankalp”.

Key promises ahead of poll

• Restoring old pension scheme
• 300 units of free electricity
• Creating 5 lakh new jobs
• Rs 1,500 monthly aid for women
• MSP of fruit by orchardists
• Rs 680 crore loan for start-ups
• Four English medium schools in each Assembly segment
• Mobile health vans
• Buying milk from farmers &
• Cow dung for organic farming

He promised the Congress would take Himachal ahead, like it had done in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. State Congress president Pratibha Singh listed the guarantees that included restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS) for employees, creating five lakh jobs, Rs 1,500 monthly financial assistance for women between 18 and 60 years, mobile health vans, commitment to buy 10 litres of milk from those rearing cows and purchase of cow dung at the rate of Rs 2 per kg to promote organic farming.

Baghel said the Congress regimes in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had given the OPS to employees and in Himachal too it would be done. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress fulfilled its election promises within two hours of the swearing-in, even before Rahul Gandhi reached Delhi from Raipur,” Baghel said, promising to fulfil the guarantees within a short period.

He said people talk of the Delhi model of development but his government in Chhattisgarh had opened quality English medium schools, encouraged organic farming, brought down unemployment rate to the lowest and shielded the state economy from impact of recession. Congress Working Committee member and in-charge of the Himachal Congress Rajeev Shukla said the Congress was committed to fulfilling the promises it had made to the people. Chairman of Manifesto Committee Dhani Ram Shandil said these guarantees would be part of the election manifesto.

CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri questioned the CM on non-fulfilment of the promises made by the BJP. “The Chief Minister must make his position clear on the promises like the construction of an international airport in Mandi, 69 national highways and rail line up to Hamirpur.”