'Choose Progress': Congress Issues Six Poll Guarantees To Telangana

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'Choose Progress': Congress Issues Six Poll Guarantees To Telangana

'Choose Progress': Congress Issued Six Poll Guarantees To Telangana (Image:twitter.com/INCIndia)

Poll guarantees focus on – Women, Farmers, Students, and Poor. 

Rs 2500 monthly assistance and free travel in government buses for women.

Houses for all homeless, Rs 15,000 annual assistance for farmers. 

On Sunday September 17, while Telangana was celebrating its National Integration Day, the Congress party held a mega rally on the outskirts of the state”s capital Hyderabad and announced six pre-poll guarantees.

Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi made the formal assurance by saying that it is her dream to see a Telangana government headed by the Congress party to work for all sections of the society in the state.

“We are announcing six guarantees for the people of Telangana and we are committed to implementing each of them”, said Sonia Gandhi while addressing the rally, named “Vijaya Bheri”, at Tukkuguda, 27 kilometers away from Hyderabad.

The 2023 Telangana legislative assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before December 2023 to elect all 119 members of the state”s Legislative Assembly. The state, where Chandrasekhar Rao is running the government for the second time, and Congress is the main opposition party, is expected to witness a trilateral contest between the BJP, Congress, and ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, the erstwhile TRS).

“I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be a part of the birth of this great state, Telangana. Now, it is our duty to elevate the state to new heights”, the Congress chairperson added.

Here are the six Congress poll guarantees for Telangana

Mahalakshmi Scheme

It is the first of the Congress guarantees for Telangana people, through which the woman of the state will be given an assistance of Rs 2500 in cash every month, gas cylinders at ₹500, and free travel in state transport (RTC) buses across the state.

Rhythu Bharosa Scheme

According to the Rhythu Bharosa Scheme, every year the government will facilitate Rs 15,000 for farmers, irrespective of whether they own a land or farms in a rented land. The scheme also ensures annually Rs 12,000 for agricultural labour and a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy above the minimum support price.

Gruha Jyothi

The Gruha Jyothi scheme promises 200 units free electricity for all deserving households inside the state.

Indiramma Indlu

Indiramma Indlu is a housing scheme in which a piece of land and ₹5 lakh for construction of house for houseless poor is ensured. Besides, the scheme also assist with a 250 square yard plot for house for the families of Telangana movement fighters and martyrs in the state.

Yuva Vikasam

This offers Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to students from poor background for pursuing higher education. For the purpose the Vidya Bharosa Card will be produced for all deserving students. The scheme also ensures setting up of Telangana International Schools in each and every revenue block.

Cheyutha

Cheyutha is the health strategy in which which a monthly pension of Rs 4000 for elderly is guaranteed, including widows, disabled, beedi workers, single women, toddy tappers, weavers, AIDS and Filaria patients and kidney patients undergoing dialysis. It also facilitates an additional Rs 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri insurance coverage to the poor and deserving.

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on the event, attacked the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the state along with rival BJP. He also criticised Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), saying that his [Rahul Gandhi”s] party was fighting all three simultaneously.

“Though these three parties appear to be operating independently, they are all one behind the screen. The BRS supported the BJP government at the Centre in Parliament on several occasions. They have conspired together and held separate rallies in Hyderabad today, only to create hurdles for the Congress rally”, Hindustan Times quoted Rahul Gandhi.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats KCR and Owaisi as his loyalists. That is why, no [ED, CBI] cases have been filed against them”, Mr Gandhi alleged, describing the BRS as “BJP Rishtedaar Samithi”.

“Lal Bahadur Shastri ji had said one thing- The country has progressed a lot after independence. From motor bikes to airplanes are being made here. New dams-canals, hospitals, schools, IITs and IIMs are being built. Whereas Modi ji says what did Congress do in seventy years?”, said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge while addressing the public.

He assured that the Congress will implement all six guarantees if his party comes to power in the upcoming polls. “On seeing the overwhelming response of the people, I am now confident that the Congress will come to power in the state”, he stated.

“Congress will realise the dream of Bangaaru Telangana!”, written Congress party on X (formerly Twitter) after the meeting. “The Congress party”s six guarantees to the people of Telangana are not just promises, they are the path to prosperity and growth for our beloved state. Together, we”ll build a brighter tomorrow. Choose Progress Vote for Congress”, they added.

Senior BRS leader and state finance minister T Harish Rao reacted to Congress promises and said that there is no guarantee that the Congress would come to power.

He even posed doubts on Congresses status as a national party. “If it is a national party, why is it releasing a separate manifesto for each state? Why can’t it announce these guarantees for the entire country and pass a resolution to that effect in the CWC [Congress Working Committee]?” he asked.

BJP state official spokesperson N V Subhash also alleged that the Congress had the habit of announcing guarantees before the elections and ignoring them at a later stage. “Let the Congress disclose how many pre-election promises it had given during the Karnataka elections are being implemented now”, Hindustan Times quoted Mr Subash.