Meghalaya’s ruling Congress has promised that it would create three lakh new jobs, besides promising to enhance Rs 5 lakh health insurance cover announced by the Central government, if it returns to power in the state.
“It shall be our endeavour to create three lakh new jobs, and provide one job or livelihood per youth per every needy family,” said the Congress manifesto released on Saturday ahead of the February 27 assembly polls.
The 20-page manifesto which highlighted the party’s promises was released simultaneously in three different regions of the state.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma released the manifesto at Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills, while former Union Ministers Vincent H. Pala and C.P. Joshi released it at Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia Hills and in Shillong respectively.
Wooing unemployed youth and women to vote for Congress, the manifesto proposed to launch a new ‘Entrepreneurship Programme Through Digital Business’ to nurture young people as digital entrepreneurs by enabling digital infrastructure to connect them with market the and business in tourism, hospitality and agriculture sector.
Proposing to set up an exclusive market for women at Shillong, Tura and Jowai, where all the retailers shall be women, the Congress also promised to provide a lump sum amount of Rs 15,000 as wedding assistance to orphaned girl child.
Pledging to provide aseed capital assistance’ to cover 4 lakh small and marginal farmers every season, the Congress manifesto said: “We are committed to asustainable agriculture and a gradual shift to natural and organic farming to ensure remunerative price for the produce so as to ensure a remunerative price to the farmers in the national and international markets for their produce.”
The manifesto also promised to enhance Rs 5 lakh health insurance cover per family.