Caste census, MSP legal shield, OPS & more: Congress unveils '7Gs'

NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday announced "seven guarantees", including initiating a caste census and 'legal guarantee for minimum support price' in Haryana, ahead of assembly elections in the state.
The party's other guarantees range from providing free electricity upto 300 units, Rs 2,000 a month to every woman between 18-60 years, re-introduction of the Old Pension Scheme for retired govt officials and free medical treatment of upto Rs 25 lakh on the lines of the scheme introduced in Rajasthan when Congress party's Ashok Gehlot was the CM.
Adressing a press conference on the launch of the guarantees at the party's headquarters in Delhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Congress will also set-up a memorial to acknowledge the sacrifice of people who lost their lives in the farmers protests that eventually saw the govt decide on repealing of the three farm laws. He also assured jobs will be provided to children of the 'shaheeds' (martyrs).
The guarantees are spread over 7 sectors - empowerment of women, strengthening social security, secure future for the youth, welfare of families, housing for the poor, farmers welfare and securing the rights of the backwards.
The state that goes to polls on October 5 and results for the 90-member assembly will be declared on Oct 8.
The Congress president also said that beyond these guarantees, the party has prepared an expansive 53 page manifesto for Haryana which will be released from Chandigarh soon. The leaders present at the launch of guarantees include Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, former chief minister and leader of opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana poll observors and senior leaders Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken and Partap Singh Bajwa.
As part of the guarantees for Haryana, Congress proposes to provide elderly, persons with disabilities and widows a monthly pension of Rs 6,000. The party also plans to provide 100 square yard plots with Rs 3.5 lakhs cash assistance to poor homeless for constructing a 2 bedroom house.
For the youth Congress plans to focus on employment and has promised to fill up the 2 lakh posts that have been lying vacant in the state.