In line with the six main guarantees announced for Telangana by the Congress in September, the party's election manifesto released on Friday, 17 November, lists out a series of sops and promises, which includes Rs 1 lakh and 10 grams of gold as an "Indiramma gift" to Hindu girls and Rs 1.6 lakh for minority girls at the time of their wedding.
The manifesto, titled 'Abhaya Hastham', was released by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and state Congress president Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad. "Our 6 guarantees shall help realise the dream of Bangaru Telangana [Golden Telangana]," Kharge tweeted earlier on Friday.
The party's six guarantees targeting women, farmers, Telangana movement activists, students, and senior citizens were announced at a time when the party was gradually regaining ground in the state after its success in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
What Are Some of the Promises?
The guarantees have been broadly categorised as Mahalakshmi, Rythu Bharosa, Gruha Jyothi, Indiramma Indlu, Yuva Vikasam, and Cheyutha. They include:
Monthly honorary pension of Rs 25,000 to the parents or spouse of the martyrs of the first and second phases of the Telangana movement
Interest-free crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers
Monthly salary of mid-day meal workers working in all government schools to be increased to Rs 10,000
Financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per year to every auto-rickshaw driver
Three new corporations for Madigas, Malas, and other SC sub-castes after the SC categorisation.
5 percent reservation to nomadic tribes/denotified tribes in education and employment
Social security to unorganised sector workers in line with the Rajasthan model
Free electric scooters to every girl pursuing higher education and is above the age of 18
Free internet through Wi-Fi facilities will be provided to all students
Issue gender-reassignment certificates and identity cards to people
Telangana goes to polls on 30 November, and the state is set to see a tight contest, with the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party as the major players.
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