Congress releases manifesto for Telangana

The Congress on Saturday released its election manifesto for Telangana, promising socially-inclusive growth with focus on jobs and social justice and a three-pronged  approach for building the new state.

The manifesto, released in Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, looked largely like a replica of the manifestos of rival parties.

Congress said it would now work with people to ensure that their aspiration for "self-determination and development through political empowerment" was achieved in a "time-bound and meaningful" manner.

Jairam dubbed the Telangana Congress manifesto as "responsive and responsible" and said a State Advisory Council, on the lines of the National Advisory Council, comprising experts from the civil society would monitor its implementation.

"We will bring out an annual report on the implementation of our manifesto," he added.

"Yeh (Congress manifesto) Diwali ke liye hai. TRS ka diwala (bankruptcy) ke liye hai," the Union Minister said, taking a dig at the promises made by the rival party.

The Congress promised to adopt a policy that is sensitive to the needs of all sections, with special focus on socially and economically backward sections.

It promised to promote socially-inclusive growth with focus on jobs, livelihoods, social justice and secure to all people universal access to rights, entitlements and services.

For 50 lakh families of farmers in the region, Congress promised to grant a "one-time relief" of Rs 10,000 each and a similar one-time grant of Rs 1 lakh to each of the 4.5 lakh women self-help groups for their livelihoods.

These two promises come in the wake of loan waiver to farmers and SHG women promised by the Telugu Desam and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

For the state government employees, the party promised to enhance the retirement age to 60 years from the current 58 and for unemployed youth it promised a grant of Rs 10,000 each for skill development training.

Like Congress' much-hyped Indiramma housing programme for the poor in both rural and urban areas, under which more than 80 lakh houses were supposed to have been constructed since 2004, the party now promised to bring in a 'Right to Homestead' legislation to provide every poor homeless family in rural areas with five cents of land for housing.

Congress also promised to implement a special component plan for the backward classes on the lines of the plans being implemented for SCs and STs through a special legislation.

Asked what was "unique" in their manifesto that did not find place in other parties' manifestos, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said they promised only those things that were practical.