The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Friday released the manifesto ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections promising robust efforts to maintain the state’s secular fabric with special emphasis on the youth, senior citizens and alleviation of poverty.
The manifesto released by LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan lays prominence on youth employment promising 40 lakh jobs besides assuring the rehabilitation of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who have returned to the state due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The manifesto promises pension for Kerala’s female homemakers. Vijayaraghavan said the LDF if re-elected will increase the welfare pensions in a phased manner, adding the goal is to ensure an upward revision of welfare pension to Rs 2,500.
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As part of its poverty alleviation programme, the LDF manifesto promises to increase loan amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for 45 lakh families.
The manifesto assures to build 1.5 lakh houses in the coming term as part of its housing schemes for the poor besides free houses to members of the SC/ST community.
The LDF also promises to give special consideration to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers and assuring to address their problems through government intervention.
The manifesto promises to increase the income from agriculture by 50 per cent besides a coastal protection and development package of Rs 5,000 crore for the state’s coastal regions. With Kerala’s several coastal regions facing erosion, the LDF said the proposed scheme will look at areas where the sea has encroached on the land and take measures to protect the coast.
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The manifesto also promises to set up loan waiver commissions in agriculture, coastal development and education sectors will also be set up besides Rs 10,000 crore electricity project to ensure power security in Kerala until 2040.
Promising Rs 10,000 crore investment in the next five years, the manifesto assures to introduce more public-private partnership enterprises. The ruling coalition in the state said the government if elected, will as part of its NRI welfare initiatives also ensure that the Kerala Bank will start accepting NRI deposits.
The manifesto besides others also promises to raise the base price of rubber to Rs 250 per kilogram.
Polling for the 140-member Kerala Assembly will be held in a single phase on April 6 while the results will be declared on May 2.