Cong promises jobs, free education to girls

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 21

The Congress today unveiled its Bihar poll manifesto promising loan waivers and subsidised power for farmers, 10 lakh jobs for youth, direct jobs for medal winning sportspersons, religious tourism circuits, and repeal of Central farm laws among a host of things.

The party’s “Badlaav Patra” (transformation paper) pledges to waive farm loans and offer 50 per cent subsidy on power bills up to 100 units to farmers.

AICC Bihar in charge Shaktisinh Gohil today said the party would repeal the Central farm laws on the lines of Punjab if voted to power and also put money in the accounts of farmers with less than 2-acre land.

The Congress “document for change” packs regional punches promising to make Maithili mandatory in schools, setting up facilitation centres for Bihar migrants across the states where they work and developing circuits to celebrate the life of Mata Sita.

The manifesto features 12 main schemes which Congress poll management head for Bihar Randeep Surjewala detailed today.

Among them are schemes promising Rs 1,000 pension for widows, single women and 80 plus older persons; free education to girls from KG to PG; direct jobs to those winning medals in international sporting event; financial incentives to 50 top scorers in proposed sports aptitude tests at schools.

Cash gifts of Rs 21,000 each at weddings of girls and free 100-litre capacity water tanks to poor households feature among the promises made.

The Congress further pledged to develop religious tourism circuits through schemes like Siyaram Tirthatan Yojana, Bihar Devayala Yojana, Sufi Vikas Yojana and others to celebrate the life of Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavira.

Each scheme has been named after a national or a regional leader, among them Shri Babu (the first chief minister of Bihar); Babu Jagjivan Ram, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Karpuri Thakur and Savitri Bai Phule.

The manifesto was released in Patna today in the absence of state unit chief Madan Jha who, the party said, was busy with his upcoming MLC election.

The Congress is fighting on 70 seats this time, among them are 45 seats it has never won before. In 2015, the Congress had fought 41 seats in alliance with Nitish Kumar. It had won 27.

Rahul to address rally tomorrow

• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will address a joint rally in Bihar on October 23.
• The first such rally by Grand Alliance leaders is slated to be held at Hisua in Nawada district of Bihar to show the Mahagathbandhan unity and send out a message to the party cadres ahead of first phase of polling on October 28.
• The rally also aims to send out a message to the Bihar voters that the Grand Alliance is well placed and also to unite cadre of all constituent parties of the alliance, a Congress leader said. IANS