Rahul’s big poll promise: Rs 1L / yr for poor women
DHULE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday announced five “Mahila Nyay” guarantees, including Rs 1 lakh annually for the poor women and 50 per cent reservation in government jobs if his party is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
AICC general secretary incharge of communications Jairam Ramesh promised that if the Congress comes to power, it will bring a constitutional amendment to do away with the 50 per cent cap on reservation. Addressing a women’s rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule district as part of his ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, Gandhi announced five “Mahila Nyay” guarantees.
He said Rs 1 lakh will be deposited annually into the bank accounts of poor women and his party will provide 50 per cent reservation to women in government jobs.
Gandhi promised that the central government’s share in the budget for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, and women working in anganwadis (government-run women and child care centres) and in mid-day meal schemes would be doubled. A nodal officer would be appointed to educate women about their rights and help in the fight for their cases, he said.
The Savitribai Phule hostels will be set up for women in every district of the country, Gandhi added elaborating on his five guarantees.
The Congress leader said he had walked from Kanyakumari to Srinagar (during his previous Bharat Jodo Yatra), spanning 4,000 km and interacted with lakhs of persons.
“The word ‘Nyay’ has been added in the second yatra from Manipur to Mumbai after farmers, youth and women told me that violence, hatred is because of injustice,” the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad said.
He claimed that Rs 16 lakh crore of industrialists have been waived off, but not the debts of farmers and youth.
“There is no bigger injustice than this,” he said.
The Congress’ “bhagidari” (participation) proposal means inclusion of all castes and communities in decision-making and sharing of resources as per their population, he said.