By IANS
Shimla : The Congress party Wednesday promised to raise the retirement age if voted to power in Himachal Pradesh, a bid seen as an attempt to win the support of powerful and sizeable government employees in the state where the second phase of the state assembly elections takes place Dec 19.
“We will raise the retirement age of state government employees from 58 years to 60 if voted to power once again,” said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, releasing the Congress election manifesto.
The state has over 300,000 government employees and their votes are considered crucial for any party to win and form the government.
The manifesto also promises hike in pensions of retired employees by at least five percent. Singh and Congress state unit chief Viplove Thakur jointly released the manifesto in Dharamsala in Kangra district, 280 km from here.
All political parties in the state usually release their manifestos in the capital Shimla, but the Congress broke the tradition this time and chose to release it in Dharamsala, in lower Himachal, the heartland of archrival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The manifesto also promises to settle the long-standing Pong Dam issue after almost 30 years. Thousands of farmers were ousted after the dam was constructed in Kangra district, but they were not settled and rehabilitated as promised.
This move is also seen as an effort by the Congress to win over Kangra, the state’s most populous district.
The manifesto lays a thrust on industrial and hydel power development and promises to carry out an IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme) survey to ascertain the exact number of the poor in the state.
Social security of the elderly people would be raised from Rs.200 to Rs.300 per month, the manifesto promises.
The second and last phase of polling for 65 assembly seats will take place Dec 19. Counting is slated Dec 28.
Voting has already taken in the first phase for the three tribal seats of Bharmaur, Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur Nov 14.