The Congress has toed the line of its alliance partner DMK with a promise of total prohibition in Tamil Nadu if elected.
Prohibition has gained centre stage in the campaign for the Assembly elections to be held in Tamil Nadu on May 16, with almost all political parties promising to do away with liquor sales if voted to power.
The alliance will fully implement Central schemes like Food Security Act, Right to Education Act, Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Forest Rights Act, Right to Information Act and Hindu Succession Act, says the Congress manifesto for Tamil Nadu Assembly 2016.
The AIADMK government has not only failed to implement many of the ‘guarantees’ and utilise funds allotted by the previous Congress-led UPA government at the Centre but in some cases it exploited them for its own schemes, the document says. For instance, food grains provided under Food Security Act was used for Amma canteens, which are subsidised canteens set up by the State government, adds the manifesto that dwells on 55 issues.
New heights Eradicating corruption, good governance, establishing Lok Ayuktha, a rational agriculture policy and a new industrial policy are some of the commitments of the Congress.
“The manifesto is a promise to take TN to newer heights in various fields, including human development and infrastructure,” said Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik after releasing the manifesto.
The manifesto is developed with emphasis on farmers’ interest and development, said Sudarsana Natchiappan, chairman of the committee that developed the document.
Credit cards will be issued to farmers to avail of agriculture jewel loan at 4 per cent interest to avoid running around with outmoded documents. Agricultural jewel loan will be sanctioned without interest from the agricultural cooperative societies. The interest will be borne by the government.
The field price of sugarcane will be raised to ₹3,500 per tonne (now ₹2,850) and that of paddy to ₹2,000 per quintal.
A monthly pension of ₹2,000 will be dispersed to all farmers aged 60 or more.
While organic farming will be given top priority, use of solar power will be encouraged.