The United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress in Kerala has released the manifesto for the Assembly Polls with the promise to build five lakh homes for those who deserve it and to increase welfare pensions to Rs 3,000 oer month. Chairman of the UDF Ramesh Chennithala who is also Congress leader called the manifesto the Bible, Quran and the Gita, which was drafted after detailed consultations with experts and various sections of people in the state.
The manifesto retirates the UDF’s promise to bring a legislation for the protection of faith of Sabarimala temple devotees. The Congress had even drafted a bill for the same. Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal MP, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mullappally Ramachandran, UDF convenor MM Hassan and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty together released the manifesto released on Saturday in Thiruvananthapuram.
The UDF government also promises to revive the Light Metro projects for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) projects for both cities were scrapped, says the manifesto. For Thiruvananthapuram, the DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) rejected the proposal citing feasibility issues, it adds. The Kozhikode Light Metro was proposed as a MRTS connecting Kozhikode Medical College to the Karipur Airport. However, the project was scrapped for a monorail project connecting the city.
The other major promises in the manifesto include a legislation to ensure pension for the eligible people, priority ration card for and five kilo gram free rice for white ration card holders (those who are above poverty line), Rs six lakh for Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe and fishermen to build houses and Rs 2000 per month for homemakers who don’t fall under the Nyuntam Aay Yogana. It also promises a Rs 6,000 pension per month for those poor families under Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) that was a poll promise of the United Progress Alliance government in 2019 for the welfare of the poor. The UDF has also said that the government will begin 'no bills' hospitals, where treatment will be completely free of cost.
Watch: UDF's manifesto release
- The Karunya Scheme for giving financial assistance for the treatment of poor people will be reinstated.
- Mothers who try for government jobs will be given relaxation of two years
- The legislation will bring in for the total revamping of the Kerala State Public Service Commission to ensure 100 percent transparency and commitment towards the candidates.
- Financial Assistance for those who died of COVID-19 including Non-Resident Keralites.
- A stimulus package to revamp the state that has been impacted by the COVID-19.
- Assistance will be given for students, who had to stop studies due to COVID-19, to resume education.
- One lakh unemployed women and men (50:50) will get vehicle subsidy.
- Auto taxi workers will get a one time aid of Rs 5,000
- The children whose education was affected by COVID-19 will get help to go back to school.
- No Bill Hospitals - where every treatment will be free for the people of Kerala - will be built.
- A special law for protection of tradition will be implemented to remove the concerns of Sabarimala devotees
- Support price of Rs 250 per kilo will be given for rubber; for rice this will be Rs 30 and for coconut this will be Rs 40.
-Special farm budget will be presented.
- The farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh before the 2018 floods of deserving farmers with less than five acres of farmland will be waived off.
- The SCP/TSP model fisheries, artisans, claypot workers sub plan for SC/ST categories will be implemented.
- Diesel, petrol and kerosene subsidies will be available for fisherfolk.
- On days that the fisher folk can't go to the sea because of government warnings, a special income will be made available.
- The students who completed M.Phil and PHD and could not find employment will get Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively for three years.