Free housing, education in Cong poll pitch

Free education from ‘KG to PG’ means if the Congress forms government in UP, it will make direct payments of all education expenses of a Dalit student to the institution, be it a private or government school or college PL PUNIA, Congress MP

The Congress on Sunday unveiled an eightpoint ‘Dalit Manifesto’ for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

The manifesto, among other things, promises free education for Dalits from ‘KG to PG’ and free houses with facilities of toilets, safe drinking water and electricity.

After the announcement at a press conference here, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar, chairman of SC/ST department K Raju, and party’s Rajya Sabha member PL Punia flagged off ‘Dalit yatras’. “A hundred Dalit yatra vehicles will cover UP villages. Each car will visit and stay in a village each day to create awareness about Congress’ contributions and plans for Dalits and other people under ‘Shiksha, Suraksha, Swabhiman’ campaign,” Raju said.

The Congress launched the campaign invoking Dr BR Ambedkar, the father of Indian Constitution and a campaigner against discrimination, two days ahead of his death anniversary.

The party’s 50-day ‘Shiksha, Suraksha, Swabhiman’ campaign aims to reach out to Dalits in about 5,000 villages across 85 reserved constituencies.

Strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been hired by the Congress for the assembly polls, is reportedly not a part of ‘Shiksha, Suraksha, Swabhiman’ campaign. Kishor had planned ‘27 Saal, UP Behal’ and ‘Kisan Yatra’ for the party.

“Free education from ‘KG to PG’ means if the Congress forms government in UP, it will make direct payments of all education expenses of a Dalit student to the institution, be it a private or government school or college,” said Congress MP PL Punia.

“The government will also pay an additional aid of Rs 1,000 to any student (of high school and above) of the state who goes to other cities for higher education,” he added.

Congress has printed pamphlets listing all eight promises in detail which will be distributed among Dalits during the yatra.

“The Congress government in UP, under Sheila Dikshit, will also establish residential schools for Dalits – one in each of the 821 blocks in the state. The schools will be set up on the model of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya,” Punia said.

“The government will post a ‘Suraksha Mitra’ at every police station to ensure safety of Dalits.

The ‘Suraksha Mitra’ will report cases to the district magistrate and also to a particular officer at the chief minister’s office,” he said.

In the manifesto, the party has also promised up to Rs 2 lakh medical aid for Dalits in government or private hospitals. The scheme will be named ‘Ambedkar Arogya Shree’.

“Sixty-five per cent Dalits do not have access to safe drinking water, 66 per cent do not have toilets, and 41 per cent do not have electricity. As 61 per cent Dalits do not own a house, the Congress will provide free houses to families of Dalit agriculture labourers,” he said.

Punia added the Congress would ensure Rs 3 lakh bank loan to Dalit youths for selfemployment and would also provide guarantee for their loans.

“Similar to Suraksha Mitra, the government will also appoint ‘Vikas Mitra’ in each block to help Dalits draw benefits of government schemes, including rural employment scheme, food security programmes, and toilet schemes,” he said.