While Sonia’s guarantees included financial aid for women, gas cylinders at Rs 500 and other welfare schemes, Praja Darbars were a hallmark of Congress governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh with the CM personally meeting people every morning for an hour or two, receiving grievances and providing solutions.These interactions stopped after chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao formed the government in the new state in 2014.
Congress also vowed to hold a judicial inquiry into alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, introduce Bhumata – a better land management portal replacing Dharani – waive crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh and extend 24X7 free power to agriculture.
Other key promises include bringing out a “job calendar” to fill up 2 lakh vacancies in the government within a year. The current contributory pension scheme will be junked and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will be brought back, the party said.
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AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge released the 42-page manifesto, called “Abhaya Hastham (protective hand)”, while pledging to treat it as the ‘Bhagavad Gita’, ‘Bible’ and ‘Quran’. He promised to implement every assurance.
Kharge pointed to neighbouring Karnataka where Congress was now fulfilling its five key promises made before it won the polls there this summer.
“They are being implemented now. We promised free travel in RTC buses to women. BJP seeks votes in the name of god, but Congress’ free travel scheme has resulted in women visiting every temple in Karnataka. The six guarantees given to the people of Telangana will be fulfilled with the first cabinet meeting signing on all the promises,” Kharge said.
The AICC president said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Rao cannot stop Congress from forming the next government in Telangana as “that was the mood of the people”. “KCR himself has said he would rest in his farm house if the Congress is voted to power. On the one hand he himself is ready to retire and on the other the people are also eager to retire him. Telangana Congress leaders should prepare the ground to give him a grand send-off,” Kharge said.
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