Srinagar, Sep 17 (Representative) The Congress on Monday released its manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, promising to provide inclusive and accountable governance by ensuring the Central Government restores statehood to the present Union Territory. However, The manifesto named ‘Haath Badlega Halaat’ remained silent on Article 370 – which was abrogated by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019. The Congress promised that it would take further concrete steps to create a conducive atmosphere for return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits.On the governance front, the party promised to provide inclusive and accountable governance by ensuring that the Central Government grants statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.The party also vowed to restore the Darbar move – shifting the seat of power to Jammu for six months during winter and moving it back to Srinagar in summer. “We will restore the 149-year tradition of Summer and Winter Capitals in Srinagar and Jammu respectively by passing a resolution in the first Assembly session in favour of the Durbar Move,” according to the manifesto, released by AICC chief spokesperson Pawan Khera and Congress J&K president Tariq Karra, at the party office here.The party also pledged to give first preference to those domiciled in Jammu and Kashmir for jobs, government contracts, land allocation and natural resource concessions. “We will bring a White Paper on corruption and establish a Lokayukta within the first 100 days to investigate all charges against officials – serving and retired – allegedly involved in scams over the past ten years,” the manifesto read.
The party resolved to empower all elected MLAs to ensure the development of their respective constituencies for speedy redressal of the people’s grievances. “We will restore the Legislative Council and add constituencies to represent sections that are inadequately represented in the Assembly such as OBCs, minorities, ex-servicemen, pensioners, teachers, experts etc,” the document read. The party also promised to hold Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections under the 73rd & 74th Constitutional amendments at the earliest. The Congress also promised to take further concrete steps to create a conducive atmosphere for the safe and dignified return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. “Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s rehabilitation programme for Kashmiri Pandits shall be revived and implemented in letter and spirit,” the party manifesto said. “We will take further concrete steps to create a conducive atmosphere for the safe and dignified return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. “We will consider the demand to create a PoJK Displaced Persons (DP) and Refugees Board for their welfare and press for the implementation of the 2014 financial package as recommended by the Congress-led State Government to the Central Government and endorsed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee: We will confer all rights on DPs from 1947, 1965 and 1971 and West Pakistan refugees including rights to sell and transfer allotted state land and Evacuee Properties,” the Congress party manifesto said.
On the employment front, the party promised to give an unemployment allowance to qualified youth of up to Rs 3,500 per month for one year.The party also promised to fill 1 lakh vacant government posts and provide a job calendar within the first 30 days to fill them. The major promises for the women by the Congress include that under the Mahila Samman Scheme they will provide Rs 3,000 monthly transfers to women heads of households among economically weaker sections “Under Sakhi Shakti, we will provide interest-free loans up to ₹5 lakh for every woman Self Help Group,” the party promised. In the agriculture sector, the Congress promised to provide an additional ₹4,000 income support for landless, tenant, and land-owning farming households per year. “We will arrange 99-year leases to landless farmers cultivating state land,” the party said.