PANAJI: Promising 100 per cent employability of the Goan youth, the Congress party on Monday released its manifesto for the forthcoming state assembly elections.
The manifesto, which was released by former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in the presence of Goa pradesh Congress committee president Luizinho Faleiro, Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane and others, has promised to remove casinos from the state.
After releasing the manifesto, Scindia said the BJP government in the last five years has destroyed the dreams of the people of Goa and has brought about widespread economic devastation.
“Look at the tremendous fall in GDP or the alarming rise in reverse migration or the shocking rate of unemployment… Therefore Goa needs change and resurgence. It is the Congress party that can provide that leadership to the state of Goa,” he stated.
Stating that the BJP – at state as well as at national level – had failed to fulfil its promise of providing employment, he said, “We believe in providing 100 per cent employability of the Goan youth in private and government sector organisations.”
The manifesto has promised Rs 5000 to every unemployed youth belonging to a family with annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh. For the mining affected, the manifesto has assured to waive off the loan on one truck or tanker of every family.
The Congress has also assured of creating a permanent mining fund.
Reiterating its stand, the Congress promised to remove all casinos from the state – offshore as well as onshore.
On tourism promotion, Scindia said, “We believe in bringing in a holistic plan which will involve all stakeholders to take forward this very important part of our economy…
Instead of cleaning the beaches they have cleaned up the coffers of Goa. The Congress government will not only clean up the beaches but also fill up the coffers of Goa.”
On the issue of medium of instruction, the former Union minister said that it was shocking to see that the BJP and the RSS have stooped to the level of involving education in their policy to polarise the masses of Goa. It is the Congress party’s resolve that the medium of instruction should be the choice of every student and every parent.
The Congress has promised to scrap all planning and development authorities and bring in the Regional Plan 2021 and reformulate it under the provisions of the reformed Town and Country Planning Act.
For families below the poverty line, the party has promised to provide wheat, rice and sugar at the rate of Rs 2, Rs 3 and Rs 7 respectively. “We have launched a very ambitious ‘2-3-7 scheme’ and according to the scheme we will distribute wheat at Rs 2, rice at Rs 3 and sugar at Rs 7… In our quest for all-round development in the state, they will be provided with free water and free electricity. And we commit to take the electricity and water tariffs back to the 2012 levels,” Scindia stated.