JD(S) manifesto promises ₹2 lakh incentive for women marrying youth from farming community

The party has also promised to set up fast track courts to try those indulging in communal hate

Incentive of ₹2 lakh for women marrying youth from farming community, up to ₹25 lakh assistance for those suffering from rare diseases, restoring 4% reservation for Muslims, and implementation of Justice Sadashiva Commission on internal reservation are among the poll promises made by the Janata Dal (Secular) in its election manifesto released on Thursday.

Among the main political parties, JD(S) was the first to release a manifesto.

For milk farmers

Promising to increase the financial incentive to milk producer by ₹2 per litre, the party said it will take steps to strengthen the Karnataka Milk Federation in the light of Amul’s entry to protect the State’s identity.

The party has also promised establishment of an amusement park in Mysuru in collaboration with Disney World. It has also announced setting aside ₹10,000 crore annually to complete the irrigation works in Upper Krishna, and work to get clearances to implement Upper Bhadra, Mekedatu, Mahadayi, and Yettinahole projects.

Protecting language

Committing to protecting languages in Karnataka and preserving culture, the election manifesto, drafted by a committee headed by MLC B.M. Farooq, has covered its promises in nine broad themes, including its Pancharatna programme that covers education, health, agriculture, housing, and youth and women empowerment.

Reiterating some of the welfare measures announced earlier as part of Pancharatna yatre for social security, the party has committed to five free LPG cylinders annually and increase in the honorarium of anganwadi workers besides, confirming their services. It has also said reiterated the loan waiver scheme for women self help groups, increase in widow pension, and financial assistance to pregnant women.

It has also said that ₹2,000 monthly assistance will be given to auto drivers, ₹2,000 monthly assistance to 36,000 farm labourer families, ₹2,000 monthly assistance to security guards, increase in senior citizen pension, and increased stipend for newly registered lawyers and artists.

For minorities

Announcing that 5% of the total budget allocation would be set aside for development of religious minorities, the JD(S) has also promised setting up of fast track courts to try those indulging in communal hate. It has also said that the party is committed to restore 4% reservation to Muslims under OBC quota that has been scrapped now. To overcome the current confusion in internal reservation, the party will implement Justice Sadashiva Commission recommendation as it is.

In its response to the agitation by government workers who are under National Pension Scheme, the party has said that a new scheme will be worked out, taking the best practises in both NPS and definitive pension scheme. The party has also promised to streamline distribution of sanitary napkins since its distribution has not been satisfactory in the past three years.

The party has charted industrial developments at district and taluk levels and promised investments of over ₹9,000 crore. The JD(S) will also work towards making panchayat raj institutions and urban local bodies autonomous and financially self reliant.