BMC polls: Congress promises free water, low-cost canteens

Congress launches its manifesto for Mumbai civic body polls in Malvani, Malad (W) Sunday. Amit Chakravarty

Kicking off the party’s poll campaign, the Congress Sunday released its manifesto for the Mumbai polls at a public meeting in Malad’s Malvani. As reported previously by The Indian Express, the party has offered a slew of promises to woo all sections of voters. To curry favour with slum electorate, the party has said it would provide free 24×7 water supply and run low-cost food canteens across the city. To woo the middle class, it has promised to waive off property tax for all residential tenements of 500 square feet or less. It has also dangled the carrot of subsdised property tax for tenements up to 700 square feet. The party has also said that if it was elected to power it would offer a subsidised power tariff.

The ‘dream’ of the pothole-free and a garbage-free Mumbai too has been doled out. The party has said that it would form a team of dedicated engineer or ‘road doctors’ who would be tasked with the sole responsibility of addressing pothole complaints.

Reaching out to the women, the Congress has announced that it would offer free healthcare to women in the 20-40 age group and has also promised setting up of mobile health clinics across Mumbai. The party has pledged to improve public transportation systems.