Congress announces six guarantees for Telangana

Hyderabad, Sep 17 (IANS) Financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for every woman, free bus travel for women in TSRTC buses across Telangana, and cooking gas cylinder for Rs 500 are among the promises made by the Congress as part of six guarantees announced on Sunday ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Looking to replicate its Karnataka victory in Telangana, the Congress announced the promises at a massive public meeting addressed by the national leadership at Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday evening.

Kicking off its poll campaign, the party announced promises under six guarantees unveiled for different sections like women, farmers, homeless, youth, and senior citizens.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi announced Mahalakshmi scheme saying this would empower women in Telangana.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced the Rythu Bharosa guarantee. He declared that if voted to power, Congress will provide Rs 15,000 per acre for farmers including tenant farmers. He announced that agriculture labourers will be provided an assistance of Rs 12,000 per year. Farmers will get Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy crop above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi announced promises under Indiramma Indlu. If voted to power, the party will give house sites and Rs 5 lakh for the homeless. It will also give 250 square yard plots for Telangana movement fighters.

Under Gruha Jyothi, all households will get 200 units of free electricity. Under Yuva Vikasam, the party promised Vidya Bharosa Card worth Rs 5 lakh each for students and Telangana international schools in all mandals. Under Cheyutha, the party promised Rs 4,000 monthly pension and Rs10 lakh health insurance for senior citizens.

Stating the Congress had fulfilled its guarantee of giving statehood to Telangana, Rahul Gandhi appealed to people to bring Congress to power in the state.

"We will implement all guarantees the way we have implemented the five guaranteed given in Karnataka," he said.

The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the Congress does not fulfill its promises but the Congress implemented five guarantees given in Karnataka soon after the Cabinet was sworn-in.

Kharge claimed that when Congress was in power at the Centre, it implemented whatever it had promised. He recalled that MNREGA and the Food Security Act were brought under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress had also started free rice distribution and brought a law for free and compulsory education of children.

Elections to 119-member Telangana Assembly are slated to be held in November-December this year.