DK Congress unveils pro-poor, pro-development manifesto for ZP/TP polls

Mangaluru, Feb 15: People have no other option but bringing Congress back to power in Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayats in Dakshina Kannada if they want development, said district Congress chief B Ramanath Rai.

Speaking after releasing the manifesto prepared by the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee for the Zilla and Taluk panchayat polls, Mr Rai said that development is the main agenda of the largest secular party.

Stating that Siddaramaiah led Congress government had already fulfilled nearly 85% of the promises it made during the Assembly election, Mr Rai said that all the promises made in the fresh manifesto for the ZP and TP polls would also be fulfilled.

“Unlike BJP, we do not make false promises. Our manifesto is development oriented and we are committed to it” said Mr Rai, who is also district in-charge minister of DK. He went on to add that the achievement of the BJP in the last two terms of Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayats in the coastal district is zero.

Promises

Earmarking five acre land in all the gram panchayats in the district to be distributed among poor siteless individuals in the rural areas is one of the main promises in the manifesto.

It also promised to make the district self-sufficiency in energy consumption by giving priority to solar energy in all the households. The aim is to make the district a complete solar district.

Mr Rai said that the drinking water schemes will be implemented in a proper manner. Using the knowledge of traditional water conservation system and modern technology, efforts will be made to increase the ground water table. Instead of drilling borewells to mitigate the water crisis, the multi-village schemes will be taken up in all the taluks in the district, he said.

The manifesto also promised a permanent solution for the disposal of garbage in villages through environment friendly technology in villages. Efforts will be made to declare Dakshina Kannada district a free from kerosene.

On the model of campus selection in colleges, measures will be taken to overcome unemployment in rural areas through gram panchayats. The party will come up with schemes which would focus on empowerment of women and help the youth to become self-reliant. Special programmes would be chalked out to provide market for the products produced by the SHGs.

Compensation and rehabilitation for endosulfan victims, promotion of tourism, construction of model public toilets in all gram panchayats, setting up value added centres for the rubber, arecanut, cahsewnuts, coconuts, fish and fruits, developing playgrounds in each gram panchayat are some of the other promises made in the manifesto.