LUCKNOW: Farmers, women and youth emerged as the key focus areas of the Samajwadi Party’s manifesto which promises 33% reservation for women in all government jobs, including police service, and making farmers debt-free by 2025.
The list of promises includes 300 units of free electricity for domestic users, creation of 22 lakh jobs and employment opportunities in the IT sector, free education for girls from KG to PG (kindergarten to post-graduation), among others.
The 88-page manifesto, divided into 22 chapters, has been titled as ‘Samajwadi Vachan Patra’ (Samajwadi Promissory Note) and has the most exhaustive section on farmers covering nine pages.
Cashing in on the farmers’ demands which they emphasized repeatedly during the protest against farm laws, the SP promises that minimum support price (MSP) for all crops will be computed on total cost of crop plus 50% of it as profit – a formula derived and approved by the National Commission for Farmers constituted under the chairmanship of agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan.
Assembly elections 2022: Complete coveragePoll scheduleDetailed coverageUP electionsPunjab electionsUttarakhand electionsGoa electionsManipur electionshttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/manipurhttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/manipurThe chapter deals with rural infrastructure funding and credits, micro financing and setting up of a farmers’ commission to lay the roadmap to make farmers free of all debts by 2025.
The Vachan Patra also promises to increase farmers’ insurance to Rs 10 lakh and reduce stamp duty to 2% in case of transfer of farm land title. It also promises setting up of a corpus fund of Rs 10,000 crore for payment of cane purchase within 15 days of procurement.
To deal with unemployment, the manifesto promises Urban Employment Guarantee Act on the lines of MNREGA for urban workers, including women, till the time they take up regular employment. The manifesto also promises a government employment policy for regular and timebound filling of government vacancies, besides creating 22 lakh jobs and employment opportunities in the IT sector alone.
The chapter also promises filling up of all vacancies in the police department within a year and time bound recruitment of nursing and paramedic staff.
Referring to the memories of the common man battling for health services during the pandemic, the manifesto promises a three-fold increase in allocation for expenditure on healthcare facilities even if it means taking it to around 10% of the state budget.
Other promises in the ‘Vachan Patra’ include cashless treatment, setting up of state pandemic relief agency, fixing rates of medical tests, setting up one superspeciality hospital in every division, ICUs with ventilators in every district hospital and cardiac-emergency ambulances.
In what is being seen as a counter to Congress’s focus on women empowerment under which it has promised 50% reservation to women if voted to power, the SP has announced 33% reservation to women in all government jobs and setting up of an all-women force.
On the education front, SP has promised laptops to all students after they pass Class 12 and free education to girls from KG to PG.
Promising zero tolerance towards heinous crime against women, children, and hate crimes against dalits and minorities, the manifesto speaks of setting up a unit to monitor such crimes.
For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the manifesto promises a state industrial security force, timebound single window/roof clearance and a state micro finance bank for MSMEs.
Under urban development, SP promises to introduce Metro service in Agra, Prayagraj, Kanpur and other cities by 2024. The manifesto also talks of providing ‘Samajwadi Thaali’ at Rs 10 for the poor, ‘Samajwadi canteen’ for subsidies, and groceries for economically weaker sections.
For minority welfare, the SP manifesto promises implementation of Hate Crime Prevention and Relief Policy to provide protection to life and property of minorities, women and dalits. The policy will take care of victims of hate crime and communal riots.
The manifesto also promises focus on English language and make efforts to provide a cultural identity to Urdu and Hindi, setting up of funds to sponsor meritorious students for studies abroad after they clear competitions, setting up of a minority income and welfare commission to recommend ways to improve living standard and a provision of Rs 18,000 annual pension to skilled workers in BPL (below poverty line) category.
