The Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the Haryana assembly elections making several ambitious promises including a farm loan waiver, unemployment allowance for graduates and post-graduates, one job in every family based on qualifications and 33 per cent reservation in government jobs to women. The manifesto, released by Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress chief Kumari Selja and former state chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and several other leaders at a press conference here, has sops to woo various sections including the farmers, women, Dalits and youth. In a big promise, the party said its government will pay an allowance of Rs 7,000 per month for graduates and Rs 10,000 per month for post-graduates till they get employment. “Every family will get one job according to qualifications,” it said. The manifesto said that loan waiver will be implemented within days if the party comes to power. “If crop of a farmer gets destroyed by a natural calamity, he would be paid a compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre,” it says. Apart from 33 per cent reservation in Haryana government jobs, they have been promised free rides in Haryana Roadways buses. The manifesto says that pregnant women will get Rs 3,500 per month till the birth of the child and Rs 5,000 per month until the child reaches the age of five. Referring to Dalit and backaward sections, the manifesto promises a scholarship of Rs 12,000 annually for Dalit students from classes 1 to 10th and Rs 15,000 annually for students of classes 11 and 12. It promises the reconstitution of Scheduled Castes Commission. The party has promised to increase creamy layer limit for backward classes from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. Congress is seeking to oust the BJP government in the state. Polling in Haryana is scheduled to take place on October 21 and counting of votes will take place on October 24.
