Unemployment allowance, 1 lakh jobs and ₹72 MSP for apples – Congress releases manifesto for J-K assembly polls.

The Congress party on Monday announced its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The Congress party is contesting the elections in alliance with the National Conference (NC).

The highlight of the manifesto – Haath Badlega Halaat – is insurance for all crops against natural calamities and a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹72 per kilogram for apple.

Congress assured to constitute a minority commission in Jammu and Kashmir within 100 days of coming to power in the manifesto released by Congress leader Pawan Khera, in presence of other Congress leaders, in Srinagar.

₹4,000 fir landless farmers

The landless farmers will be getting a monthly support of ₹4,000, the manifesto said. “Our goal is to defeat the forces of obscurantism and bigotry who contributed nothing to the Freedom Movement or the making of our Constitution and whose sole objective has been to subvert our millennial heritage and composite nationhood. It is our sacred duty to fight divisive forces. The Congress party has no difficulty in cooperating with like-minded parties towards this goal,” the manifesto reads.

Jammu and Kashmir is voting in three phases beginning September 18. The other two phases are scheduled on September 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 8.

Khera said while releasing the manifesto that ₹2,500-crore fund will be set up for all district-level irrigation projects to ensure 100 per cent irrigation for farmers in Jammu and Kashmir. For the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the party promised an unemployment allowance of up to ₹ 3,500 per month for one year to qualified youths.

The party promised to fill one lakh vacant government posts by issuing a job calendar within 30 days.

The Congress party is contesting 32 seats while NC has fielded candidates on 51 seats as per the seat-sharing arrangement in Jammu and Kashmir.