CG urban polls: Cong promises doorstep delivery of services

The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday released its manifesto for December 21 urban body polls, with a promise of doorstep delivery of over 100 public services, including driving licence, caste certificate and pension through 'Mukhyamantri Mitan Yojana'.

Buoyed by its massive victory in the Assembly election last year, the Congress is eyeing to win maximum civic bodies riding on the performance during one year of its government in the state.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Urban Administration and Development Minister Shiv Kumar Dahariya, Health and Family Welfare Minister TS Singhdeo and other leaders released the manifesto at 'Rajiv Bhavan', the party's office here.

The manifesto also promises to launch new schemes for inclusive development of cities.

"The Mukhyamantri Mitan Yojna will be launched to provide over 100 government services to people at their doorstep. Services like driving license, caste certificate, ration card, electricity bill, pension, revenue records and others will be delivered at home," minister Dahariya told reporters.

The scheme will generate employment as around 8,000 youths will be recruited as "mukhyamantri mitan (friends)", he added.

The 'Indira Gandhi Harit Abhiyan' scheme will be launched which will comprise works for conserving environment by carrying out plantation drives and setting up urban vegetable gardens and "oxyzones", he said.

In select wards of every civic body, a 'Rajiv Gandhi Gyanoday Kendra' will be set up which will have online reading zone and library, he added.

The Congress also replicated its 'narva, garwa, ghurwa, baadi' (rivulet, cow, compost pit, vegetable garden) promise first mentioned in the Assembly poll manifesto, and it will be be implemented in agriculture-dominated urban areas, the minister informed.

Strengthening of 'Mission Clean City' scheme for door to door collection of garbage, mechanised sweeping through ultra-modern machines, new techniques for cleaning drainage system and arranging sufficient drinking water facilities in all cities in the next three years were among other promises made in the manifesto.

As many as 151 urban bodies, comprising 10 municipal corporations, 38 municipal councils and 103 nagar panchayats, will go to polls on December 21, with 10,161 candidates in the fray.