Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday released the party manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with promises ranging from a farm loan waiver to a Dalit home minister, sub-caste reservation for Most Backward Classes, a commission for Pasmanda (lower-caste) Muslims, holiday on Parushram Jayanti, five reserved seats in the Legislative Council for “farmers, craftsmen, weavers and ex-servicemen”, land rights for slum dwellers, a pension scheme for housemaids, an overhaul of the school syllabus and “restoring freedom” to the press.
Priyanka also promised that if a Congress government comes to power, cases registered against journalists would also be withdrawn, adding that it would “restore freedom” to the press. Promising to resolve the issue of stray cattle, she said compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre would be given for crops destroyed by the cattle. Keeping religious sentiments in mind, the Congress has also promised to build a “parallel road” along highways for “kanwar” and “ursa” pilgrims as well apart from promising to organize a Ganga Utsav.
“जो छोटे क्लस्टर्स हैं, जैसे मुरादाबाद में पीतल उद्योग, कानपुर का लेदर उद्योग इनको हम और मजबूत करेंगे”#यूपी_का_उन्नति_विधान pic.twitter.com/E9gd28jVh6
— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) February 9, 2022
The manifesto, titled “Unnati Vidhan”, also promised to construct Indira Canteens in urban areas to provide food at reasonable rates. Blaming that the present syllabus in schools has become “anti-women” with elements of “casteism” and “communalism”, the Congress also promised to overhaul the school syllabus and to regulate private school fees.
The party has also promised to review the powers of special agencies in the state like the Economic Offences Wing, Crime Branch CID, Special Task Force etc.
While the party had earlier declared two separate manifestos—“Shakti Vidhan”, focused on women; and “Bharti Vidhan”, focused on youth—the present manifesto covered all sections of society.
“Jo bhi ismein dala hai woh public ki awaz hai,” said Priyanka, adding that while the Congress has struggled a lot in the past few years for the public, the public has struggled even more with issues such as unemployment and price rise. Senior Congress leader Salman Khursheed, who headed the manifesto committee, said the party had reached out to over 1 lakh people, both physically and virtually, in its attempt to make a people-centric manifesto.
Table of Contents
Farming and farmers
The Congress has promised to waive all loans of farmers, halve the electricity bills and waive all pending electricity bills from the Covid period. The party also promised to procure wheat at Rs 2,500 per quintal and sugarcane at Rs 400 per quintal and also to devise a formula for timely payment of sugarcane dues to farmers.
The Congress also promised to develop temperature-controlled cold storage facilities at block level, and promote Uttar Pradesh “mangoes” by facilitating branding as well as packaging of mangoes and also to establish an Uttar Pradesh Ingredient Extract Board to connect local markets with international ones.
Stray cattle
The Congress promised to provide compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre to farmers for their crops destroyed by stray cattle and also establish a “Godhan Nyaya Yojna” based on the Chhattisgarh model. Under the scheme, cow dung would be procured at Rs 2 for a kilogram. Methods to promote organic farming and promoting vermicompost units would also be part of the scheme. Rs 500 would be provided for the upkeep of stray cattle at cow shelters for a specific time period, and the shelters would be opened in every “Nyaya panchayat” of the state.
Medium and small industries
The Congress promised to promote western Uttar Pradesh as an “international-level urban mining and recycling centre”, stating that while Meerut has an automobile recycling centre, Moradabad recycles 80 per cent of “e-garbage”, whereas Loni recycles metals. The Congress also promised to ease the filing of the Goods and Services Tax records.
Labour and employees
The Congress promised to stop “all the outsourcing”, regularize “safai karamcharies”, increase the honorarium for cooks under the midday meal scheme to Rs 5,000, start a pension scheme for domestic helps, and also to increase the government share in pension schemes for employees.
Infrastructure
The Congress promised parallel roads along the highways for “kanwar yatris” as well as “ursa” pilgrims with proper medical and resting facilities. It also promised the development and expansion of a “Buddha Peace Circuit” covering Sankisa, Sarnath, Shravasti, Kushinagar, Kaushambi and Kapilvastu.
Urban development
The Congress, in a major promise, said that slum dwellers would be given the right of ownership of land. It also promised construction of Indira canteens to provide food at reasonable rates.
Rural development
The Congress promised to increase the salary of gram pradhans to Rs 6,000 and that of village chaukidars to Rs 5,000.
Health
Free treatment in public hospitals for up to Rs 10 lakh, a 5 per cent increase in the health budget and electrification of all health centres and a Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for all Covid warriors are promised.
Education
The Congress promised libraries with internet connectivity in every block. Alleging that the school syllabus in Uttar Pradesh is increasingly becoming “anti-women,” “casteist” and “communal”, the party promised to review the syllabus. Apart from promising to fill 2 lakh vacant posts, the Congress promised to regularize para-teachers and give compensation to families of teachers who died of Covid after being infected on duty.
SC, ST welfare
The party has promised to appoint a Dalit leader as the home minister. Free education to students belonging to SC and ST communities from kindergarten to postgraduation and reservation in promotion are also promised.
OBC welfare
Sub-caste reservation for MBCs, rights along the rivers to the Nishad and Kewat communities.
Minority welfare
Model schools in minority areas, ensuring proper minority representation in government jobs and a commission for the welfare of Pasmanda (lower-caste) Muslims.
Culture
Apart from promising cultural events in the memory of Valmiki, Surdas, Malik Muhammad Jayasi, Ameer Khusrao, Kabir, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil as well as Ashfaq Ullah Khan, the Congress has also promised a Ganga Utsav in Allahabad and Varanasi. In an attempt to woo Brahmins, the party has announced a holiday to mark “Parshuram Jayanti” as well.
Policing
The Congress promised to withdraw cases registered against journalists and also to release “illegally arrested” journalists. Besides promising to review powers of the CBCID, EOW, Special Cell and STF, the party also said the State Human Rights Commission would investigate the rights violations that occurred during the BJP rule. It also promised home district postings for female police officers.