Raipur, Feb 5 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Congress on Wednesday released its manifesto for the February 11 urban body polls in the state, giving 34 promises, like doorstep delivery of some important certificates, free Wi-Fi at public places and installation of CCTV cameras near school and colleges.
The party also promised to provide free sanitary pads to female students in school and colleges and regularisation of contractual employees of municipal corporations.
Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij, former MLA Stayanarayan Sharma, who is the convenor of the party's manifesto committee for urban body polls, and other leaders released the manifesto, titled 'Jan Ghoshna Patra', comprising 34 promises, at the party office 'Rajiv Bhavan' here.
The key manifesto promises include construction of fully equipped Anganwadi centres in all wards, free sanitary pads to female students in schools and colleges, home delivery facility for birth, death and marriage certificates, setting up of youth hubs in all municipal areas to provide employment, special initiatives to provide employment to women self-help groups, women's toilets in urban commercial areas and free Wi-Fi facility at public places.
Highlighting other promises, Baij said, for women's safety, arrangements will be made to install CCTV cameras at all squares of the cities and near schools and colleges in coordination with the police control room, Baij said.
Under Shraddhanjali Rashi Yojana, financial assistance of Rs 2,000 will be hiked to Rs 5,000 to families belonging to below poverty lines (for last rites after someone from their families dies), he said.
"Efforts will be made to regularise contractual employees of corporations. Facility of paying property tax, consolidated tax and water tax from home will be provided. In the next six months, wherever an online building permit granting facility is not available, it will be provided. The house allotment process will be simplified and all homeless people will be provided houses as per their eligibility," Baij said.
Information about sanitation staffers working in each ward will be publicly displayed. A fully-equipped free library facility will be set up in each urban body for students to prepare for competitive exams, he said.
Mobile cart vendors will be given protection and suitable space will be provided for business by marking vending zones at prominent places in the wards. Community halls will be provided free of cost in all municipal areas for the marriage of women. Landless persons occupying government land will be given retention rights to hold the land. Meritorious students will be awarded with an encouragement amount in all government schools, he said.
A citizens' charter will be made in all Congress-ruled municipalities by setting deadlines for the completion of their works.
Special discounts will be provided on payment of property tax within the stipulated time and hi-tech rest rooms will be built for journalists in all municipal corporations, he said.
Necessary steps will be taken to make the cities free from dust and stray cattle, he added.
Elections to 173 civic bodies, comprising 10 municipal corporations, 49 municipal councils and 114 nagar panchayats, will be held in a single phase on February 11.
The ruling BJP had on February 3 released its manifesto for urban bodies polls, promising rebate of 25 per cent in property tax on properties owned by women, expansion of 'pink toilets' for women in market places, free Wi-Fi facility in schools and colleges and free sanitary pads to female students in schools and colleges. PTI TKP NP