Bhubaneswar: With the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections around the corner, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Friday released the party manifesto for Odisha. The party has made 90 promises and nine “guarantees” to the electorate of the state.
OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak, the party’s state in-charge Ajoy Kumar and other party leaders were present at the function organised to release the election manifesto at the Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
The Congress has promised the electorate to provide a bonus along with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,000 per quintal for paddy, waive agricultural loans and a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 to farmers. In addition, the party has promised 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers in the state if it came to power in Odisha.
The manifesto also promises employment opportunities for about 5 lakh youths and an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month for three years. The Congress also promised a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 to the elderly, widows and persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and also heads of families (women) under the Gruha Lakshmi Yojana.
The manifesto also guarantees to provide LPG cylinders to every family at Rs 500 each, and free health services to everyone up to Rs 15 lakh in government and private hospitals. The party has also promised to waive the loans provided to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the state.
At the same time, Congress promised 27 per cent reservation for the backward classes in educational institutions and the service sector.
The manifesto guarantees that within 100 days of coming to power, the party will undertake a social and economic survey and provide 35 kg rice, 1 kg salt, 1 kg cooking oil, 1 kg pulses and 250 gm turmeric to the poor.
