POVERTY ALLEVIATION, HOUSE TAX CUT FEATURE ON CONG MANIFESTO
The party also promised free health and accidental insurance, unemployment security funds to street vendors and those living in unauthorised colonies
NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress on Monday released its first manifesto for the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections, promising to set up an urban poverty alleviation department, cut down house tax, provide unemployment allowance and regularise sanitation workers.
The party said it will come out with a separate manifesto for urban infrastructure and youth in the next two days.
Aiming to win over working-class voters, the Congress also promised to provide free health and accidental insurance, unemployment security funds to street vendors and those living in unauthorised colonies, and other benefits to workers in the unorganised sector, including domestic helps.
At the release of the manifesto on Monday, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said if voted to power in the three Municipal bodies, the party will also form a task force for delivery of services to the poor.
Maken said that corporate houses will be encouraged to spend a share of their CSR fund on poverty alleviation. No new taxes will be imposed, rather the existing house tax rates could be lowered by uprooting “corruption” and efficient collection of other taxes, he added.
Five lakh street vendors will be identified, registered and provided with licences to save them from harassment and exploitation. Additionally, all temporary sanitation workers in three MCDS will be regularised in two years, the manifesto said.
The party manifesto also talks of regularisation and development of unauthorised colonies. “Congress-ruled MCD will earmark Rs 2,000 crore development fund for unauthorised colonies and sanction layout plans of such colonies to speed up their regularisation.”
The jhuggi jhopdi (JJ) clusters will be developed through in-situ rehabilitation, replacing the shanties by housing complexes, the manifesto promises.
Maken said the party manifesto was a well thought-out road map for Municipal Corporations and it extended solutions to various issues faced by people and the civic bodies.
“We are not making hollow promises, as BJP did (on Sunday) in its manifesto. They ruled the Corporations for 10 years and failed even to pay timely salaries to sanitation workers and teachers of Municipal schools. How do they plan to fulfil tall promises made by them,” Maken stated.
He futher said that Congress is committed to make all the three Corporations selfdependent in two years after coming to power through revenue generation from different areas, including annual collections of Rs 500 crore from licence fees from vendors, Rs 1,600 crore from toll tax, utilisation of unused land and outdoor advertising.
The party has prepared separate road maps for sanitation, primary health and education services rendered by corporations, besides a blue print for their financial self reliance.
The roadmaps for primary health and education outlined a complete overhaul of the existing systems in corporations.