The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Congress to represent the `voice of the voiceless'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 20, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Congress to represent the `voice of the voiceless'

Special Correspondent

Manifesto says the party will help DPA to form a benevolent government

RELEASING MANIFESTO: TNCC president M. Krishnasswamy (centre), releasing the party's manifesto at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai on Wednesday. Party leaders K.V. Thangkabalu (left) and G. Masilamani are also seen. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI: A "strong India and a prosperous Tamil Nadu" will be the guiding principle for the State unit of the Congress party and it will relentlessly work for achieving the aim, says the election manifesto, released by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president M. Krishnasswamy here on Wednesday.

Assuring the voters that the party will represent the "voice of the voiceless" in the State, it said the party would help the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) to establish a benevolent government where there would be no place for corruption and nepotism.

The manifesto felt that the task of governance had become difficult and challenging in the State as there had been "growth without creation of employment opportunities and reforms without a human face" due to "wrong policies" pursued by the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government. The Congress would take up the onerous task of providing an efficient administration, which would guarantee every section of society its due share.

Job opportunities

The Congress would strive for increasing employment opportunities in the State by establishing new industries, including a new steel plant near Salem by using the iron ore available in the State.

The party would not allow commercialisation of education and would try to establish better educational facilities in rural areas. It would see to it that necessary financial and other support was provided to all deserving students to pursue their higher education.

As government hospitals are providing health care to the poor and the downtrodden, the party would work for their modernisation, apart from filling all vacancies in the hospitals.

The party would insist on recruitment through employment exchanges for public and private sector units. It would recommend an unemployment allowance of Rs. 300 a month for those who remained unemployed even three years after their registration with the employment exchange.

The party would work for a due share in power for weaker sections such as Dalits, minorities, women, unorganised and agricultural workers and would take steps to provide 30 per cent reservation for women and five per cent for the religious minorities in the fields of education and employment.

The party would try to establish a corporation for transportation of cargo and passengers in the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu. It would try to establish desalination plants near Chennai to solve the drinking water problem of the city.

Revival of the Legislative Council, inclusion of Gandhian ideology in school and college textbooks, modernisation of government libraries, a dole of Rs. 300 to handicapped with more than 50 per cent disability having an income of less than Rs. 6,000 per annum and support for the growth and upliftment of workers engaged in khadi and cottage industries were other issues highlighted by the manifesto. The party would make serious and sincere efforts for the welfare of all sections of people and would extend its support for the implementation of above proposals by the government to be formed by the DPA front in the State.

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