Priyanka: Cong. will bring law to nullify CAA in Assam
Announces several sops including five lakh govt jobs in 5 years
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra here on Tuesday launched the poll campaign of the party by making five promises that Congress would guarantee if voted to power in ensuing assembly polls in Assam.
Addressing a public rally at Tezpur Gandhi announced that every household will get 200 units of free power, five lakh jobs in five years, `2,000 cash benefit to all housewives, hike in minimum daily wage of tea garden workers to `365 besides a law to nullify Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
“If our party comes into power, a law will be enacted to ensure that CAA is not implemented in Assam. 200 units of electricity will be given free of cost every month to every household,” said Gandhi.
“We will provide `2,000 per month to all the housewives as ‘grihini samman’. The woman working in tea gardens will be provided `365 per day. We’ll create five lakh new govt jobs. These are not promises but guarantee,” she added.
Concluding her two days long visit to Assam, Gandhi also clarified that tea garden owners need not worry as some part of proposed hike in minimum wages of garden workers would also be shared by the state government.
The senior Congress leader who was was also seen plucking tea leaves and interacting with tea garden workers in Biswanath said, “Just few days back the BJP government has increased the daily wages of tea garden workers from `167 to `217 but it has not been implemented as yet. If we are voted to power we will increase it to `365. This is our commitment.”
Earlier Gandhi was given a rousing welcome when she arrived at the Sadhuru tea garden. She spent nearly 30 minutes at the garden before leaving for Tezpur in Sonitpur district.
Gandhi’s visit to a tea garden assumes significance as the BJP government recently increased the daily wages of tea garden workers.
Later in the day, Gandhi also visited the residence of a local tea garden worker in Tezpur district for a meal.
With close to 10 lakh tea workers and over 60 lakh population of the tea tribe, the garden workers community has been a major vote bank in Assam. The tea tribe community is a deciding factor in as many as 35 assembly seats, out of a total 126 in Assam. The state in last few elections has noticed a major shift in Assam tea garden votes from Congress to BJP.
Assam Assembly elections will be held in three phases. In the first phase, 47 seats in 12 districts will go to the polls on March 27.
In the second phase, 39 constituencies in 13 districts will go to the polls on April 1 while 40 assembly constituencies in 12 districts to go on polls on April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.