Puducherry: Taking a cue from political parties
in neighbouring Tamil Nadu in offering freebies, the manifesto of the ruling Congress in Puducherry for the April 13 assembly polls has promised free mobile phones for BPL families.
The manifesto said poorer sections would find mobile phones
helpful during emergency and a family whose annual income is
less than Rs 75,000 would be eligible for the freebie.
The 16-page manifesto released by PCC leader A V
Subramanian in presence of Union Minister V Narayanasamy and
Chief Minister V Vaithilingam promised welfare schemes for all
sections of people including freedom fighters and senior
citizens.
Students selected for medical course through centralised
admission under government quota would be provided an annual
assistance of Rs two lakhs while an engineering student would
be granted every year Rs 40,000 to meet the education
expenditure.
A fifty per cent subsidy on the price of laptop would be
granted to poor college students.
BPL families would be issued 35 kg free rice every month
instead of 25 kg disbursed now. Similarly for APL families ten
kg rice and ten kg wheat would be disbursed at Re 1 a kilo.
The party also promised that the Centre would be urged to
grant special category status to Puducherry and raise the
strength of the Assembly from present 30 members to 40.
Emergency Ambulance 108 service would be introduced in
the whole of the Union territory. The procurement price of
milk would be fixed at Rs 24 a litre. The monthly pension of
Rs 750 now available for the aged, widows and destitute women
would be raised to Rs 1000.
A survey would be conducted to identify the number of
unemployed youth and an unemployed member from each family
would be provided jobs. A ban on plastic materials and their
use would be introduced.
A separate help desk would be put in place to attract
investment by non resident Indians in Puducherry industrial
sector. Housing subsidy to Adi Dravidar families would be
raised from Rs two lakh to Rs four lakh. The manifesto also
promised setting up of a Lokayukta to prevent corruption
among government employees.
It also promised several welfare measures for minorities,
downtrodden, senior citizens and also the differently abled. A
balanced development of all the four regions of the Union
Territory was also promised.
Congress is contesting polls in alliance with DMK and has
fielded candidates in 17 of the 30 seats.
PTI