Congress releases its manifesto for forthcoming elections to J&K Legislative Assembly

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 16 : The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday released its manifesto for the forthcoming elections to the J&K Legislative Assembly.
Saifuddin Soz Chairman, Manifesto Committee said, "Our goal is to defeat the forces of obscurantism and bigotry who contributed nothing to the Freedom Movement or the making of our Constitution and whose sole objective has been to subvert our millennial heritage and composite nationhood. It is our sacred duty to fight divisive forces. The Congress party has no difficulty in cooperating with like-minded parties towards this goal."
The 10 points on governance said that Congress will provide inclusive and accountable governance by ensuring that the Central Government grants statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The manifesto stated that Congress would restore the 149-year tradition of Summer and Winter Capitals in Srinagar and Jammu respectively by passing in the first resolution of the first Assembly session in favour of the Durbar Move.
"We will give first preference to those domiciled in Jammu and Kashmir for jobs, government contracts, land allocation and natural resource concessions. We will bring a White Paper on corruption and establish a Lokayukta within the first 100 days to investigate all charges against officials-serving and retired-allegedly involved in scams over the past ten years. We will empower all elected MLAs to ensure the development of their respective constituencies for speedy redressal of the people's grievances," the manifesto said.
The manifesto said that the Congress would restore the Legislative Council and add constituencies to represent sections that are inadequately represented in the assembly such as OBCs, Minorities, Ex-Servicemen, pensioners, teachers, experts etc.
"We will hold Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections under the 73rd & 74th Constitutional amendments at the earliest. We will incorporate an Ombudsperson to investigate cases of corruption. There will be no evictions from lands in continuous occupation by poor people and farmers - especially landless, small and marginal farmers - until a fair and transparent land policy is prepared within six months. Forest dwellers will also be conferred rights under the Forest Rights Act within six months. We will implement the Public Services Guarantee Act in letter and spirit and check the loopholes in the system, the manifesto added.
The manifesto said that the Congress would consider the demand to create a PoJK Displaced Persons (DP) and Refugees Board for their welfare and press for the implementation of the 2014 financial package.
"We will confer all rights on DPs from 1947, 1965 and 1971 and West Pakistan refugees including rights to sell and transfer allotted state land and Evacuee Properties. We will reexamine genuine cases of unregistered and excluded 1947 DPs and refugees and accordingly confer them due rights and a financial package. We will regularise DP and Refugee bastis and camps," it said.
On employment, the manifesto said that the Congress would give an Unemployment allowance to qualified youth of up to Rs 3,500 per month for one year.
"We will fill 1 lakh vacant government posts and provide a Job Calendar within the first 30 days to fill them. Job applicants will pay an exam fee only once a year even if they apply many times. We will fill district cadre posts through district recruitment boards with a preference for local youth. We will fill vacancies at various levels to address shortages of teachers. We will clear the withheld and pending RET appointments in six months. Closed schools in hard zones to be provided teachers on an ad hoc basis immediately, followed by a fresh recruitment policy, " it said.
On welfare, the manifesto said that the Congress will increase the allocation of free rations from the current 5 kg to 11 kg per person.
The manifesto said that Under the Mahila Samman Scheme, Congress would provide Rs 3,000 monthly transfers to women heads of households among economically weaker sections.
"Under Sakhi Shakti we will provide interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for every woman Self Help Group. We will provide a Beti Scholarship Scheme to the girl child. We will double the state share of honorarium of Anganwadi workers, helpers, Mid Day Meal workers and Asha workers and also press the Central Government to double its share. We will strengthen the ICDS by giving basic legal training to qualified HNM workers to impart awareness of women's legal rights and to aid and advise them. We will set up women police cells in each police station," the manifesto said.
On education, the manifesto said that the Congress would provide quality and affordable education for all students.
"We will establish state-of-the-art model schools at the block level with comprehensive facilities. We will set up model boarding schools in each district to provide equitable access to quality education. We will fill vacancies at various levels to address shortages of teachers. We will assure quality and affordable coaching for all with special emphasis on students belonging to weaker sections," the manifesto said.
The manifesto said that the Congress would provide an additional Rs 4,000 income support for landless, tenant, and land-owning farming households per year.
"We will arrange 99-year leases to landless farmers cultivating state land. We will ensure a Rs 72/kg minimum price for apples. We will provide 100 per cent crop insurance for all crops against natural calamities. We will set up a Rs 2,500 crore fund for all district-level irrigation projects to ensure 100 per cent irrigation for J&K farmers. We will set up wholesale grain markets in each block to minimise the costs of middlemen," the manifesto added.
Congress and the National Conference have formed an alliance for the assembly polls. Assembly polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases on September 18, September 25 and November 1. Votes will be counted on October 8.