GUWAHATI:
Congress on February 7 released its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly election slated for February 27, promising a feasible and accountable roadmap with five objectives for eastern districts.
“Our manifesto is a blueprint of our crystal-clear intention for Nagaland. While the home minister has yet again made a false promise to ‘talk about Frontier Nagaland’ after the election, we have proposed a feasible and accountable roadmap with five objectives for eastern districts. We propose a mini secretariat at Tuensang, the creation of a separate directorate of school education, relocate DUDA at Tuensang, 33 per cent job reservation based on annual vacancies, an initiative with India and Myanmar government to enable economic relations between the Nagas of India and Myanmar,” said Pawan Khera, chairperson, media and publicity department, All India Congress Committee (AICC).
“The demand for highest-level talks on Naga Political Issue was fulfilled by the Congress when then Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao initiated the talks in Paris and we’re willing to resume the talks to achieve fruition unlike the procrastinators of the day – Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government,” Khera also said.
In the manifesto, Congress guaranteed 33 per cent reservation for women in urban local bodies and Rs 3,000 old age pension per month in Nagaland.
The party also promised fortification of resources in eastern districts of the state, payment of 100 per cent MGNREGA money, loans for higher education at zero interest rates, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for all urban and local areas.
Khera said: “Our manifesto endeavours to cover every section of society.”
Claiming that the Congress left governance in the state in 2003 in a prim shape, Khera alleged that the Neiphiu Ro’s Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government had engorged thousands of crores of sanctions leaving the state in lap of scams.”
“It will be our priority to channelise the resources and judiciously utilise them for strengthening the infrastructure, providing modern amenities like public libraries, reverse osmosis (RO) drinking water tanks for villages, roads to farms, sewerage, hostels for colleges, etc.,” Khera also said.
The Congress leader accused Rio of always acting with a mala fide intention by conveniently constituting and chairing a consultative committee for peace at the time of the Congress-led Union government during 2004-2014 and then disbanding it at his convenience.
“He must tell the people of Nagaland his real intention all along,” Khera said.
He said Rio’s real intention was to mislead the “trusting people of Nagaland” as he could not solve the Naga political issue as per his party’s slogan in 2003 and wanted to buy time to remain in power.
“It will be our priority to safeguard the interests of Nagaland on all fronts,” he also said.
“We pledge to bring stability, empower citizens, and modernize infrastructure in Nagaland,” he added.