The Left Democratic Front (LEF), on Friday, released their 2021 Assembly election manifesto. The LDF manifesto makes several welfare promises, mainly focussing on employment for Kerala’s youth as well as rehabilitation of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who have returned to the state due to the pandemic. The 2021 manifesto also includes some ambitious promises, including 40 lakh jobs, pension for the state’s female homemakers and a Rs 10,000 crore electricity project to ensure power security in the state until 2040.
The LDF manifesto also promises a coastal protection and development package of Rs 5,000 crore for the state’s coastal regions. Several coastal regions in the state, including Valiyathura and Shankumugham in Thiruvananthapuram, have been facing coastal erosion. The proposed scheme will look at areas where the sea has encroached the land and take measures to protect the coast, said LDF.
The manifesto promises to increase the income from agriculture by 50% in the coming term. The government, if elected, will also increase welfare pensions in a phased manner. The goal is to increase welfare pensions to Rs 2,500 per month, said LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan, who released the manifesto in Thiruvananthapuram’s AKG Centre on Friday.
The manifesto also talks about the security of senior citizens and more schemes for the protection and welfare of the state’s senior citizens.
As part of its housing schemes for the poor, the LDF says it will build 1.5 lakh houses in the coming term.
It also promises free houses to members of the SC/ST community.
The LDF manifesto promises poverty alleviation through the promotion of small-scale entrepreneurship. For 45 lakh families, the manifesto promises to increase loan amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 15 lakh as part of its poverty alleviation programme.
Special consideration will also be given to auto rickshaw and taxi drivers and their problems addressed through government intervention.
The CPI(M)-led front also promises to introduce more public-private partnership enterprises and a Rs 10,000 crore investment in the next five years.
Another promise is to raise the base price of rubber to Rs 250 per kilogram.
The government will also ensure that the Kerala Bank will start accepting NRI deposits, as part of its NRI welfare initiatives.
Loan waiver commissions in agriculture, coastal development and education sectors will also be set up.
Other promises include efforts to be self-reliant in the production of milk, eggs and vegetables.
The manifesto promises strong efforts to maintain the secular fabric of the state. The LDF, which is the ruling coalition in Kerala, has promised to implement the Administrative Reforms Commission report and publish a yearly progress report of the government’s rule for public scrutiny.