The Congress' Manifesto

The Congress released a low on reform and high on populism manifesto. The poll pledge paper, released by party president Sonia Gandhi, promised a heavily subsidised food scheme and improvements in the job guarantee scheme. The party said it would concentrate on deepening the efforts it undertook over last five years in the social sector. Consolidation and continuity is the leitmotif of the Congress work programme for 2009-2014. Centering on its “commitment” to the aam aadmi, the Congress is seeking another five years in the saddle with the promise of maximum possible security to every citizen, health insurance coverage to every family below the poverty line, education loans for all, enacting a national food security act, pursue affirmative action for SCs and STs in the private sector, reservation for economically weaker sections of all communities and reservation of a proportion of seats in panchayats and nagarpalikas for persons below the age of 35 years. The party has pledged to enact a National Food Security Act, which will entitle all families below the poverty line, by law, to 25 kg of rice or wheat every month at the rate of Rs 3 per kg. In keeping with its mantra of inclusion, the Congress promises to set up subsidised community kitchens in all cities for homeless people and migrants. The party has pledged health insurance coverage for all families below the poverty line under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna over the next three years. Congress proposes to implement a scheme to supply energy to poor families at affordable prices.
Conceivably, as a response to the current economic downturn, Congress has opted to remain silent on economic reforms. Instead it has eschewed the policy of “blind privatisation”. Perhaps, in deference to possible post-election tie-ups, Congress manifesto opts to tread the middle path-disinvestment without privatisation. It upholds the right that Indian people have “to own part of the shares of public sector companies, while the government retains majority shareholding”. The Congress committed itself to retaining enterprises like banks, insurance companies, energy, transport and telecom companies in the public sector. It will work towards attracting private investment in the exploration for oil and mineral, including coal and iron ore. Rather than specific measures of economic reform, the Congress seems to move sideways, to ensure a climate of “equitable” and “inclusive” growth. The farmer is a central player in this effort. The Congress has promised to amend the Land Acquisition Act to ensure that the interests of land owners are “more adequately protected”. Given the unrest over remuneration for acquired land, the party has said that it will ensure that farmers get “at a very minimum” market rates for land that has been acquired for industrial projects. Though no committments have been made, Congress believes that “farmers should be given an options to become stakeholders” in these industrial ventures. The party has pledged “to extend interest relief to all farmers who repay bank loans on schedule” The party says it is “determined to ensure that farming becomes a profitable occupation. All measures in support of this objective will be taken.” Besides comprehensive crop insurance schemes, the party will also examine the feasibility of “direct income support to farmers in the ecologically vulnerable regions”.
The manifesto states that the party is “firmly committed to maintaining high growth with low inflation, particularly in relation to prices of essential agricultural and industrial commodities.” Reminding that the average growth rate in the first four years of the Congress-led UPA government was 9%, the party says it will “strive to maintain this momentum with a relentless emphasis on growth that accelerates the generation of productive jobs for our youth.” The party has also reiterated its commitment to the “path of fiscal responsibility” — suggesting that "subisides reach only the actual needy and poor sections". Congress says that it will continue efforts to "create and implement a national consensus" on the issue of subsidies. For the manufacturing sector, the small entrepreneur and the small and medium enterprises has been promised a “new deal.” The Congress, which prides itself on its special concern with those at the margins, has said it will ensure a comprehensive social security cover to all persons at “special risk”, including single-woman headed households, disabled and elderly, urban homeless, released bonded workers, members of primitive tribal groups, and members of designated “most backward” Dalit communities. The party proposes to reserve at least one-third of all central government jobs for women as well as endeavour to ensure that “at least half of the country’s rural women will be enrolled as members of self-help groups.”