Aid to Covid victims’ kin, will cancel remission of Bilkis case convicts: Congress

The party also promised “justice” to the victims of Morbi bridge collapse. “What problem does the government have in constituting a commission under a sitting or retired judge of the High Court? If people get punished, they will be wary in future. Governance is zero here,” said Gehlot, who was accompanied by Jagdish Thakor, president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and other leaders to unveil the manifesto titled “Jan Ghoshana Patra 2022-27.”

Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa remained absent from the event. The Congress leaders refused to take any questions including those on Rathwa’s absence.

“In the first cabinet meeting of the new Congress government in Gujarat, we will table this manifesto and it will be passed as a government document.”

The Congress said it has approached 65 lakh people in preparing the manifesto.

Among its other major promise was to restore the name of Narendra Modi stadium at Motera to Sardar Patel stadium.

Deepak Babariya, chairman of manifesto committee, said, “We want to assure the people of Gujarat that in the very first Cabinet meeting, we will restore the name of the stadium to Sardar Patel stadium.”

The stadium originally built in 1983 was renamed in 2021 after it was rebuilt.

“The attempts to meddle with Sabarmati Ashram will be dealt with in such a way that Gujarat’s culture is not forgotten,” Babariya added.

The manifesto which revolves around the promises by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi — subsidised gas cylinders, free education for girl students, Rs 10 lakh medical cover, jobs, etc — also assures to provide “justice” by investigating the scam involving Dhaman ventilators, paucity of medicines and black marketing of oxygen during the pandemic and paper-leaks in government recruitment examinations.

The party said it will bring a new law to curb corruption in government recruitment examinations and also promised to set up fast track courts. The deaths that happened during the Patidar agitation in 2015, will also be reviewed.

The Congress said it will bring in a strict law to prohibit the “purchase-sale” of MLAs in the state and institute inquires against such MLAs. It has also promised the creation of a State Narcotics Control Cell to rid of the increasing menace of drugs in Gujarat.

The Congress manifesto talks about introducing a “Happiness Index” that will compliment the development in the state. It not only promises free android phones for needy students, but also promises a 20 per cent cut in taxes and a 20 percent deduction in fees across the education sector.

Promising Rs 3 lakh loan waiver to both farmers and fishermen, The Congress said it will review the amendments made by BJP government to the 2013 land acquisition act of UPA government and will bring a new law to replaces the “anti-farmer” Special Investment Region (SIR) Act of 2013.

Investigations will also be launched against insurance companies that provided crop insurance between 2016 and 2020 and crop insurance will also be extended to horticulture farmers.

Congress also stated that it will not only create a separate fisheries department, but will provide a Rs 50 lakh package for fishermen caught by Pakistan and will control operations of foreign fishing boats in a 12 nautical mile area from the Gujarat coast.

The manifesto promises to implement One Pension Scheme (OPS) for all categories of government employees, roll-back of “anti-labour” amendments passed by the BJP government in the last two years, implement pay scales for teachers of private schools, increase minimum wages for construction workers up to Rs 500 and build 35 lakh houses under “Ghar nu Ghar” scheme.

The manifesto also talks about prevention of corruption in MNREGA and cancellation of land surveys conducted by the present BJP government using satellite imagery.

For industrial development of the state, the manifesto states that 1000 units having a Rs 50 crore turnover will be set up in the next two years and a Rs 5,000 crore MSME fund will be created for providing loans to small businesses.

The manifesto also states that 25 crore trees will be planted across the state and Gujarat will be made “plastic-waste free” in next two years.

Reacting to the Congress manifesto, BJP’s national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “There is a difference between words and actions, as far as Congress party is concerned. In the 2019 manifesto, Congress had talked about ending the sedition law. But after 2019, if there is any government which used that law, then it is Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan…”

When quizzed about the renaming of the Motera stadium, Trivedi said Congress has no moral grounds to talk about Sardar Patel. “By installing the worlds biggest statue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bestowed honour on Sardar Patel.,” he added.