The Hindu : National : Congress promises job to every household

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Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
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Congress promises job to every household

Staff Correspondent

Its manifesto for Himachal gives special thrust to welfare of government staff

SHIMLA: The Congress released its manifesto for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls on Wednesday, giving a special thrust to the welfare of government employees, the biggest and most compact constituency.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Viplov Thakur and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh released it in Dharamsala in Kangra and party general secretary Kuldeep Rathore briefed the media on party proposals in Shimla.

The party pledged to give employment to every household and formulate a scheme to provide special honorarium to unemployed youth. It also committed to increase the retirement age to 60, regularise all daily wage workers, increase daily wages by Rs.20, raise pensions by 5 per cent and enhance ration facilities for policemen on the Punjab pattern.

Sticking to its agenda of privatising education, the Congress promised to make the State a knowledge hub. It said it would encourage more private participation in education at all levels while making it job-oriented.

It also guaranteed to strengthen the health facilities, road networking, industrial development and rural economy by introducing the latest technology in agriculture and horticulture.

The BJP called the manifesto a manifestation of the failure of the Virbhadra Singh government and a white paper of betrayal of faith of innocent Himachalis.

Addressing the press, party in-charge Satpal Jain said it would have been better if the Congress had come out with a document detailing the successes and failures of the previous manifesto. Once again, the party had befooled the people with false promises and unattainable targets, he said.

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