Cong’s 7 guarantees: 2L govt jobs, MSP law, caste survey

Chandigarh: Chandigarh: A legal provision for MSP, a caste survey and two lakh govt jobs were among seven guarantees Congress announced on Wednesday for the Haryana assembly elections.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge unveiled the document, “Saat Vaade Pakke Irade”, during a media briefing at the party headquarters in New Delhi, with a special focus on women, youth, employees and farmers.


The party promised a special monument dedicated to farmers who laid down their lives during the protests against the now-repealed three farm laws and govt jobs for relatives of the victims.
Around 750 farmers had died during the agitation. “Farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black laws. We will build a monument in Haryana. Our party has also promised govt jobs to children of the deceased,’’ said Kharge, who also promised a legal guarantee to MSP and free insurance for farmers. He said a detailed manifesto would be released by Haryana Congress in Chandigarh.
Other promises included Rs 2,000 per month to women between the age group of 18 to 60 years on the lines of Himachal Pradesh’s Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana, increasing social pension to Rs 6,000 per month, revival of old pension scheme, two lakh govt jobs for youth. The party vowed to weed out the drug menace from the state with more stringent provisions.
The party also promised an increase in the limit for the backward classes in the creamy layer to Rs 10 lakh, caste census in the state, free power up to 300 units a month, a health cover of Rs 25 lakh on the lines of Rajasthan’s Chiranjeev scheme and 100 yard plots along with financial assistance for poor.
In its list, Congress also promised gas cylinders at Rs 500 for the poor, a provision BJP claimed to have already made for antodaya families just ahead of the announcement of the assembly elections. “Congress manifesto is like a China-made toy which does not last long. This reminds me of a popular Hindi song, ‘Vaada tera vaada, vaade pe tere maara gaya banda yeh seedha sadha…” said Satish Punia, BJP incharge for Haryana. State BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli termed the guarantees as a bundle of lies.
Congress promises were almost similar to those made in 2019 with an increase in the quantum of benefits. In the 2019 assembly elections, Congress had promised Rs 5,100 as social pension for the aged, handicapped and widows and OPS revival and pay scales on the lines of neighbouring Punjab for govt employees.
Referring to drugs, Congress had promised to constitute a special task force (STF) to deal with the drug menace, scholarships between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 per annum for Dalit students, 33% reservation for women in jobs, 50% rebates for women in various levies and free travel for women and unemployed youth in Haryana Roadways and Rs 7,000 per month as unemployed allowance for youth.
The Congress also promised to increase the monthly pension of journalists and provide them and their families cashless medical cover. Kharge said that it was the first time that any party has made such an announcement.
Kharge was accompanied by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, AICC leaders Ajay Maken, Pawan Khera, Geeta Bhukkal and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Udai Bhan.