Cong gives big infra push in UP while keeping caste factor in mind

Seeking to revive itself after two decades in the political wilderness, the Congress on Tuesday while releasing its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh promised to ‘resurrect’ the state and end lawlessness and economic backwardness.

The manifesto, launched by senior party leaders Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Congress’ technology poster boy Sam Pitroda, promises inclusive development of the state. However, unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), which promised free laptops/tablets and unemployment allowances, the Congress has not talked of freebies saying the party supports free education and wants to spruce up the infrastructure.

Sibal said if voted to power, Congress would mandate 25 per cent government procurement from companies owned by members of scheduled castes/tribes, other backward castes (OBC) and the minorities. Besides, it would launch a new industrial policy for public and private sector investment with special emphasis on micro, small and medium (MSME) entrepreneurs.

The party has promised fiscal incentives and tax holidays to set up units and simplify tax administration. To boost agriculture and allied sectors, it has promised to launch UP Dairy Mission on the model of Amul.

Congress has promised to institute a special Election Manifesto Implementation Cell in the chief minister’s office and release an annual report card to the people of UP. The party has talked about setting up of 500 model schools and filling up 1,00,000 posts for teachers. It has promised all weather roads across the state, and women police stations in every district and posting at least one woman cop in every police station.

The party’s manifesto also lambasted the present Mayawati regime for its alleged acts of corruption, mis-governance, inefficiency and dismal fiscal prudence, which led to the state public debt touching Rs 2,00,000 crore.

Congress has promised to create 2 million new jobs in the next five years and start a major programme for skills development if voted to power. It is also talking about setting up 1,000 skill development centres through the proposed UP Skills and Employment Mission.

The manifesto promises to develop the state’s infrastructure of road network, power and industry, but with a firm eye on wooing the caste vote bank in the state. The party promises to set up a water farming institute for OBCs like Majhis, Nishads; woodwork institute for Vishwakarmas; and horticulture institute for Shakyas.

The Congress manifesto promises to develop specialised institutes for caste specific trades, weaving, animal husbandry, horticulture, etc. At the same time, to boost employment in the state, localised industries will be revived through developing “special commercial hubs” across the state like tourism and weaving in Varanasi, glassware in Firozabad, printing and perfumes in Farukkhabad and Kannauj, locks in Aligrah, etc.

The party says that encouraging of local industries will not just give a fillip to job prospects in the state stemming migration of labour to other states, (an oft repeated Rahul Gandhi statement), it will also bring in large chunks of caste-based vote banks that are dependant on these trades.

Gandhi, has strategically been wooing the OBCs, the Most Backward Dalits and the SCs and STs and minorities in this crucial election 2012, recognizing the fact that caste vote banks plays a vital role in the state.

It promises to upgrade the Meerut- Delhi highway to a world-class highway, make UP a power surplus state within five years and set up three new greenfield airports in the state.

Significantly, the party is also promising to extend the Delhi Metro to all NCR areas in UP within five years.

With an eye on attracting the Mahadalit votes, the manifesto is promising reservation for the “most oppressed within the SCs” in government jobs and education. STs too have not been neglected. The party has committed to pursue the case for reinstatement of 9 tribes currently listed as SCs — Kols, Majhis, Korwas, Kuraus, Dhangars, Macheras, Ghasiyas, Badis and Koarais — in the list of STs.

Special economic packages like the Central package for Bundelkhand have been promised for other backward regions like Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli.

Farmers and agriculturalists have been promised separate power grid so that they get adequate power supply — at least eight hours of supply for operating wells.

The most backward among the minority vote bank, which all political parties are wooing, have been promised reservation in government jobs. Party says Urdu will be notified as the second official language.