SHILLONG, Feb 24: The Indian tiol Congress (INC) election manifesto for Meghalya released on Saturday point to creation of three lakh new jobs in the next five years, even as the AICC general Secretary of the Congress CP Johi refused to speak to newsmen on the party manifesto. The booklet prominently projects the intention of the Congress if re-elected to power.
“To keep pace with the progress already achieved, the Government promises to create three lakh new jobs and livelihoods in the next five years, by covering at least one youth per family,” the manifesto states.
The Congress also said that it is committed towards taking proactive and practical steps to ensure job creation.
The Congress states that Meghalaya is the first State in the country to have set up “Enterprise Facilitation Centres” in every block to support youth in securing employment.
The party stated that over 1.2 lakh youth have got enrolled in these centres and 62,215 have been registered for becoming entrepreneurs since inception, and nearly 22,000 people have got self-employed.
“The Government has remained focused towards creating sustaible livelihoods in the State and has worked towards a clear vision of creating value based employment oppurtunities,” the Congress manifesto states.
The Congress manifesto also stated that its Government has dedicated utmost attention to the livelihoods of farmers.
“Through its departmental initiatives, the irrigation potential of the State has doubled over the past five years. We propose to strengthen and scale up the organic mission for providing citizens opportunities for residue-free food and healthy living,” the Congress manifesto stated.
The Congress party also said that to demonstrate its steadfast intent in securing a life of dignity and sustaibility to all farmers, the Government promises to provide a first-of-its-kind “seed capital assistance” to every small and margil farmers in the State every agricultural season.
The party said that the support is intended to provide basic income and investment support to the farmers of the State and is expected to cover over four lakh farmers. Wooing female voters, the Congress promised a slew of concessions to the women of the State if elected to power. The Congress party shall provide a lump sum amount of Rs 15, 000 as wedding assistance to orphaned child.
“It is our commitment to augment this scheme, and assist the females in need,” the Congress manifesto states. The party also promised to set up exclusive market for women in Shillong, Tura and Jowai, where the retailers will be women.
The Congress in its manifesto also said that it is committed to ebling community participation in order to uphold the highest standard of transparency and accountability.
“In this light, the Government passed the country’s first Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, which according to the party stands to be an initiative to transform governce while placing citizens and their rights of participation at the centre.
The Congress manifesto also states that its Government had already initiated roll out of social audits under the law and has arrived at a working protocol for extending social audits under the law across all villages of the State in the coming term.
“The Government is committed to evidence-based policy making and endeavours to make policy changes and mid-course correction based on findings that emate from social audits conducted by the local community,” the manifesto states.
