By IANS,
Lucknow : Massive employment opportunities for the youth, expansion of educational and health facilities, quotas for minorities and free electricity connections to poor were among the promises the Congress made Tuesday in its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh released in Lucknow and nine other centres.
One lakh vacant government posts would be filled immediately and 20 lakh youths would be given jobs in five years if the Congress comes to power, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said while releasing the manifesto.
He was flanked by state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Innovations Sam Pitroda.
Socially and educationally backward sections of Muslims and other minority communities would be given a sub-quota in government jobs proportionate to their population, Sibal said.
He said the issue of division of Uttar Pradesh would be studied by the states reorganisation commission.
Pitroda said: “Technology will play an important role in modernisation of UP. If India grows at 7-8 percent, UP should grow at 11 percent.”
“We are a nation of a connected billion. We are now making connected universities and are connecting 250,000 panchayats. Technology will play an important part in UP too,” he added.
Some other promises listed in the manifesto:
– Education facility for every family, a school for every village and an intermediate college for every 2,500 families.
– Residential schools for those belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and weaker sections.
– 500 model schools for Scheduled Castes, tribals, OBCs and other under-privileged sections.
– Expanding facilities at primary health centres, upgrading district hospitals and expanding ambulance services.
– Free metered electric connections to those below poverty line (BPL) among the scheduled castes.
– Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the corruption scandals in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), health projects and other schemes.
– Appointment of health lokpal and services of doctors at walking distance.
– Chief minister to be brought under Lokpal.
– Every Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribe family would be given Rs.10,000 at time of their daughters’ wedding.
Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in seven phases between Feb 8 and March 3.
Votes will be counted March 6.