Date:02/10/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/10/02/stories/2004100205461100.htm

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Congress-NCP-RSP manifesto assures free power to ryots

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, OCT. 1. The Congress-NCP-RPI combine today released their joint manifesto for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The manifesto, released at a press conference here, offered several sops to the electorate but no debt relief to farmers. There was also no mention of the creation of a separate State of Vidarbha.

Vidarbha issue

Margaret Alva, Congress general secretary in-charge of the State, said her party stood by its working committee resolution supporting the creation of small States. The question of Vidarbha would be looked into by the State Reorganisation Commission, but could not be included in the manifesto as it was a joint one.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, who is the party observer for the polls, said the Commission would take up the Vidarbha issue along with that of Telangana. The Civil Aviation Minister and NCP leader, Praful Patel, said his party was not against the creation of the new State provided that was the feeling of the people of the region.

The manifesto promised efforts on a "war footing" to make good the developmental backlog of Vidarbha. The promises to farmers include free power, farm insurance for all cultivators and crops, loans at low and simple interest rates, formation of commission for water conservation, irrigation, supply of quality seeds and a comprehensive plan for combating drought and scarcity.

Legalisation of slums

Another constituency that the statement addresses itself to isCotton growers have been assured a hike of Rs. 200 and the raising of the procurement price paid under the State monopoly cotton procurement scheme to Rs. 2,700 a quintal. To the urban poor, particularly the slum dwellers of Mumbai, the manifesto promised legalisation of all unauthorised slums that came up till 2000.

The combine promised Rs. 1,500 crores for improvement of basic amenities in Mumbai, at least one job to project-affected families, generation of one crore jobs in five years, rehabilitation of closed mills and factories, special boards for unorganised labour and 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs. .

The emotional content comes by way of a promise to build a memorial for the Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji, off the Arabian Sea on the line of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari at a cost of Rs. 100 crores.