The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has promised 25 lakh new jobs, ‘cradle-to-grave' social security for all, a welfare fund and pension for staff of all places of worship and a law to unearth concealed wealth of public persons.
Unveiling a comprehensive social welfare package, the LDF manifesto promises one month's maternity leave with wages for women working in the unorganised sector, free education with books, noon meal and uniforms for all children and Rs.400 pension for all aged persons with the additional promise to raise the maternity leave with wages to three months and all welfare pensions to Rs.1,000 over five years.
The manifesto, released by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in the presence of leaders of all LDF constituents, also promises to recognise 35 to 40 lakh families as below poverty line (BPL) families, provide rice at Rs.2 a kg to all ration cardholders, constitute a welfare fund for domestic workers and employees of unaided educational institutions, including special schools, convert all ration shops into franchisees of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco), provide kerosene subsidy at the rate of Rs.20 a litre, implement a Rs.7,500-crore scheme for women empowerment over the coming five years and a Rs.5,000-crore special package for coastal areas.
The manifesto says that even as it stood for securing the reservation benefits of all socially and economically backward communities, the LDF would strive for a Constitution amendment that would make 10 per cent reservation benefits available to the poorest in the forward communities. It further says that the alliance would also work to ensure that Dalit Christians and Christian converts received reservation benefits at present available to Scheduled Castes.
The manifesto promises to bring forward a right to service law, introduce a law to govern inter-State migrant workers, implement the Sabarimala master plan, form a State-level industrial security force, increase the percentage of women in the police force to 15 per cent, enforce stringent controls on foreign liquor shops, enhance the extent of land under paddy by 1,000 hectare every year, implement a comprehensive pension scheme for farmers, strive for self-sufficiency in vegetable, milk and egg production, implement a Rs.40,000-crore comprehensive road construction project, double the area of software technology parks and achieve 100 per cent Internet connectivity in schools.
Those present at the release of the manifesto included CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan, CPI State secretary C.K. Chandrappan, RSP State secretary V.P. Ramakrishna Pillai, Janata Dal (Secular) leader C.K. Nanu, Kerala Congress (Thomas) secretary general George Sebastian and Congress (S) State secretary V.K. Babu.
