Himachal Congress gives 10 guarantees to woo electorate ahead of assembly polls
Pratibha Chauhan
Shimla, August 31
While accusing BJP of failing to fulfill the promises it made during the 2017 assembly polls, the state Congress today unveiled its 10 guarantees to woo the electorate ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls due in November this year.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagal, who has been made chief observer for Himachal polls, today announced the 10 guarantees to woo every section of society, including employees, fruit growers, women and youth. “BJP terms such welfare announcements for the weaker sections of society as ‘revaris’ but for Congress this is a commitment which we will honour,” he asserted.
State Congress President Pratibha Singh listed the 10 public-oriented guarantees promised by the Congress on returning to power. These include restoration of old pension scheme for employees, creating five lakh jobs, Rs 1500 monthly financial assistance for women between 18 to 60 years, 300 units free power, fixing MSP of fruits by growers, Rs 680 crore interest free loan for start-ups, quality education with four English medium schools in every assembly segment, mobile health vans, commitment to buy 10 lts milk from those rearing cows and purchase of cow dung at the rate of Rs two per kg to promote organic farming.
“Rattled by the promises that we have made, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur is questioning us on how we will fulfill these. I want to make it clear that we have assessed the financial viability of all these promises and Congress will honour all these within 90 days of formation of Congress government in Himachal,” Baghel assured.
He said Congress regimes in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have given OPS to employees and in Himachal too it will be done. “The Congress government in Chhattisgarh fulfilled the election promises within two hours of the swearing-in ceremony, even before Rahul Gandhi reached Delhi from Raipur,” he said, assuring fulfillment of the guarantees within a short period.
“We will not beg before the Centre as it is our right to get the sum of Rs 19,000 crore of employees and workers of Chhattisgarh that is lying with the Centre,” said Bhagel. He added that the Chhattisgarh government knows how to get this money from the Centre as it is the legitimate right of the employees.
Bhagel said people talk of the Delhi model of development but his government in Chhattisgarh had opened quality English medium schools, encouraged organic farming, brought down unemployment to lowest and protected the state economy from the effect of recession.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and in-charge Himachal Congress Rajeev Shukla said the Congress was committed to honour the promises it had made to the people. “All this has completely flustered the BJP who are questioning the financial viability of the guarantees but we have announced them after detailed discussions with the party high command,” he said.
CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri questioned the CM on non-fulfillment of the promises the BJP made before the 2017 assembly pols. “Rather than questioning us, the CM must make his position clear on non-fulfillment of promises like construction of an international airport in Mandi, construction of 69 national highways, rail line upto Hamirpur and grant of four time compensation for land acquired for road construction,” he said.
Senior leaders Sukhiwnder Singh Sukhu also said that Congress was committed to honour its promises.
