Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Mallikarjun Kharge releases MVA's manifesto

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it wasnt his party and allies who divided the society but it was the BJP that had already split the communities by adopting ManusmritiHe was speaking after the Maha Vikas Aghadis manifesto Maharashtra Nama was released in Mumbai on Sunday The manifesto that reflected the inclusion of MVAs allpartner agenda ran into many pages and things to be done in the first 100 days of government Kharge said the fie guarantees that were given already and the additional manifesto were not difficult to implement because the new government will have the fiscal capacity to manage themHe was commenting on PM Narendra Modis poll pitch ek hai to safe hai and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanaths batenhe to katenge sloganYou have already divided the communities by adopting Manusmriti Who will you cut now Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi laid their lives for the countrys unity We want the nation united he said adding that the Congress promise of conducting a caste census was taken wrongly by the BJPHe said the caste census would be conducted not to divide the nation but to know the exact information about the jobs economic profile social status and other things We will plan what can be done based on the caste census data he saidKharge called out Modi for seeking votes saying that the BJP had appointed Dalit and adivasi as the President He says it in public meetings which is against the Constitution he said adding that the Congress and others never mentioned Modis caste because all castes and communities were with all partiesModi should tell how many SCs and STs are in his cabinet and how many of them have been given important ministries All of them are powerless But in the UPA governments we had powerful ministers from all sections of the society he statedIn addition to five guarantees Rs 3000 per month for women free travel on the state transport buses Farm loan waiver upto Rs 3 lakh Rs 50000 assistance for regularly servicing loans Caste census to be conducted to remove a 50 per cent cap on reservations Health insurance of Rs 25 lakh and free of cost medicine R 4000 per month allowance for the unemployed youth the MVA has promised 5 LPG cylinders at R 500 each Nirmbhaya Act to check crime against women 100 units electricity free for those who consume upto 300 units per month new industrial policy recruitment for 25 lakh government jobs elections to local self bodies including 27 municipal corporationsMaha Vikas Aghadis Manifesto Maharashtra NamaMonthly allowance of Rs 3000 will be provided to women under the Mahalaxmi SchemeFree travel on buses for womenSix cooking gas cylinders will be provided annually at Rs 500 eachFraming a lsquoNirbhay Maharashtrarsquo policy and enforcement of the lsquoShaktirsquo law for the safety of women and childrenFree cervical cancer vaccines will be given to all girls aged 9 to 16Two optional leave days for female employees during menstruationEstablishment of a separate department for the empowerment of selfhelp groupsFormation of a dedicated Ministry for Child WelfareRs 100000 to be provided to girls upon reaching 18 years of ageDebt waiver for farmers up to Rs 300000 a Rs 50000 incentive for regular loan repaymentA review will be conducted to improve existing schemes and provide support for widows and children in families affected by farmer suicidesThe government is committed to ensuring minimum support prices for farmers and will simplify the crop insurance scheme by removing burdensome conditionsYouth and Education Unemployed educated graduates and diploma holders will receive up to Rs 4000 per month in allowancesRecruitment for 250000 positions in the state government will commenceEstablishment of a lsquoYouth Commissionrsquo for youth welfareScholarship funds provided through BARTI Mahajyoti and Sarathi schemes to be doubledMPSC Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam schedules will be announced with results declared within 45 daysA Unified Smart Card will be provided allowing candidates to pay the exam fee once and take all government exams under MPSC throughout the yearA single fee will be charged for all MPSC examsHealthcareThe Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Scheme will be extended to cover all diseases including accidentsVarious Health Insurance schemes will be reviewed and will further expand healthcare facilitiesFree medicines will be made available in government hospitalsIndustry and BusinessA new industrial policy will be framedA dedicated Ministry for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs will be establishedSmall shopkeepers and businesses will be charged with domestic electricity ratesSocial JusticeCastebased census to be conducted in MaharashtraA law will be framed to ensure that the allocated budgets for Scheduled Castes and Tribal departments are utilised within the set timeframeEach newly announced corporation representing various social groups will immediately receive an initial fund of Rs 100 croreA Welfare Corporation will be established for organised and unorganised sanitation workersIncome limit for the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Scheme to increase from Rs 21000 to Rs 50000 with benefits rising from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 per monthPeoplersquos WelfareImmediate measures to control prices of essential goods will be takenMonthly waiver of up to 100 units on electricity bills for consumers using up to 300 unitsThe prepaid electricity meter scheme will be reviewed in consideration of consumer oppositionRestoration of the old pension scheme for government employeesHonorariums for senior artists will be increasedIncrease in Shiv Bhojan Thali CentresUrban DevelopmentA lsquoState Urban Commissionrsquo to address the challenges of urbanisation and provide strategic direction will be establishedAn authority to address climate change threats and implement necessary measures will be createdGood GovernanceTimetables for local selfgovernment elections will be announcedThese elections will be conducted using a singlemember ward systemPending allowances and honorarium for Gram Panchayat members sarpanches and deputy sarpanches to be releasedPride of MaharashtraOnline and offline courses to teach Marathi to Maharashtrians abroad and nonnative speakers in Maharashtra will be initiatedAction plan to complete the pending Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at Chaityabhoomi Dadar Indu Mill within set deadlinesOrdinances issued by the Mahayuti government from a partisan perspective will be reconsideredOrders issued by the Mahayuti government regarding land allocations to private institutions and individuals will be reviewedStrong demand to the central government for awarding Bharat Ratna to Krantisurya Mahatma Phule Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe and Karmaveer Bhaurao PatilWomenProvide loans up to Rs 500000 at lowinterest rateEstablish a dedicated department under the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare for selfhelp groupsEnsure strict enforcement of the lsquoShaktirsquo lawEstablish a lsquoNirbhay Maharashtrarsquo where every woman and girl can live a fearless lifeInitiate lessons in selfdefenseSet up safe clean and conveniently located public restrooms for womenDevelop a roadmap for implementing the concept of safe cities for women children seniorcitizens and the disabledFarmersImplement the lsquoMaharashtra Millet Missionrsquo to safeguard farmers and address climate challengesSet milk prices annually considering production costs for dairy farmersIntroduce Pink and Saffron Revolution to protect onion and tomato cultivatorsEstablish an independent Directorate for dryland farmingAllocate funds for the rehabilitation of degraded lands and update recordsDevelop permanent graveled roads connecting farms to make access easier for farmers with an allocation of Rs 10000 crore for roadsGradually reduce the population dependent on agriculture by creating alternative employment opportunitiesYouth and EducationCreate jobs for 125 million unemployed individuals over the next five yearsLaunch lsquoMaharashtra Youth Employment Missionrsquo to provide updated information on job opportunities in various sectors domestically and internationallyPromote a lsquoMaharashtra Olympic Missionrsquo to elevate Maharashtrarsquos standing in sportsAim to make Maharashtra addictionfree using art and sports therapy to achieve this goalIntroduce a New Education Policy for MaharashtraGradually increase the budget for education to reach 6 per centStrengthen laws against exam paper leaksConduct recruitment processes for key departments through MPSC increasing its efficiency with additional members and staffIntroduce topics related to social responsibility and constitutional awareness in school curriculum to foster responsible citizenshipHealthcareAdopt a policy for universal healthcare rights by strengthening public health servicesEquip district hospitals with full facilities to ensure easy access to healthcare servicesAim to raise the average lifespan in Maharashtra to 77 years while ensuring good healthImplement a comprehensive programme to control the spread of malaria dengue chikungunya and tuberculosis TBIncrease public participation and transparency in healthcare to make it more accountableGradually raise the healthcare budget to 8 per cent as per national health policySet up enough recreation centers for senior citizensIntroduce lsquoSanman Schemersquo to support senior citizens and ensure that physically and mentally vulnerable seniors receive essential government services directly at their homes upholding their dignity and respectWill ensure that disabled marginalised and LGBTQIA become a part of the mainstreamIndustry and EmploymentRestore Maharashtrarsquos per capita income and industrial standingAchieve a 12 per cent growth rate in industry and a 15 per cent growth rate in the service sectorProvide Rs 1 crore in funding for innovative startupsEstablish exclusive industrial zones for women entrepreneursOffer Rs 1 crore grants to entrepreneurs from OBC SC ST and VJNT communitiesOpen special offices in Europe the USA the Gulf and East Asia to attract foreign investment in MaharashtraPromote a lsquoWork from Hometownrsquo policyWill ensure a social protection for gig workersRepeal the government order allowing contractbased employment in government servicesReject the four labour codes imposed by the Modi government in the stateUrban DevelopmentDevelop lsquoHappy Citiesrsquo across the state encompassing public participation parks playgrounds and clean public spacesStrive for a clean green and pollutionfree MaharashtraEstablish a lsquoSustainability Cellrsquo dedicated to achieving netzero emissions in the citiesFormulate policies to address urban climate change impacts such as unprecedented rainfall flooding and rising temperaturesAddress traffic issues by prioritising public transportation and creating multimodal facilities along with provisions for pedestrians and cyclistsIncorporate a large number of electric vehicles for public transportation in Pune Mumbai Nagpur Nashik Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati by 2030Extend the lsquoSRArsquo scheme to large towns and talukas near citiesEnforce a commitment to provide lsquoHousing for Allrsquo in the stateEnact laws to protect hills from encroachments and preserve their integrityExpand Maharashtrarsquos current forest cover from 17 per cent to 25 per cent with a focus on urban forest expansionEmphasise the conservation of Satpuda and Sahyadri ranges rivers streams lakes forests grasslands and biodiversity including animals birds and insectsEstablish an independent Forestry UniversityLaunch a lsquoMission Sakshamrsquo to enhance the capacities of local government representatives and officialsSocial JusticeWhile elevating Maharashtra to the top rank in per capita income we aim to improve thestatersquos Human Development IndexIn line with the vision of Shri Kanshi Ram ji the leader of the oppressed lsquoRepresentation based on numbersrsquo we will rectify the confusion surrounding Maratha Dhangar Muslim etc reservations created during the Mahayuti governmentrsquos tenure ensuring justice for these groupsImplementing affirmative policies to increase SC ST OBC and minority representation in technology and industrial sectorsMake essential food items like cooking oil and tur dal available on ration cards benefiting holders of orange ration cardsLaunch a Health and Nutrition Mission specifically for the tribal communityExpand the lsquoBharosa Cellrsquo across the state to help resolve family disputes and strengthen family systemsFormulate an inclusive policy to ensure opportunities for differentlyabled and LGBTQIA individuals across all sectors