Telangana Congress to woo voters with six guarantees

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Congress is likely to unveil its six “guarantees” —Maha Lakshmi scheme, Cheyutha, Rythu Bharosa, Ambedkar Abhaya Hastam, Yuva Vikasam and Mahila Sadhikaratha — in the presence of former AICC president Sonia Gandhi in the Vijayabheri public meeting to held in Hyderabad on September 17.

According to reliable sources, the Congress is drafting six guarantees, not five as understood previously, slightly deviating from its concept of “Abhaya Hastam” symbolising the hand, the party’s poll symbol.
While the Congress launched the Gruha Lakshmi scheme in Karnataka, giving Rs 2,000 to the woman head of the family in households below the poverty line, the Telangana unit of the party plans to increase this amount to Rs 3,000 and call the scheme “Maha Lakshmi”.

Besides this, the Congress will be pulling out some points from its Farmers, Youth, and SC/ST declarations while customising the six guarantees to suit the local needs. From the Farmers’ Declaration, it is learnt that the party chose the “Rythu Barosa” scheme of giving Rs 15,000 per year to farmers and Rs 12,000 to agriculture workers. This scheme is on the lines of the Rythu Bandhu being implemented by the BRS government.

During the Khammam public meeting “Jana Garjana”, Rahul Gandhi announced the Cheyutha scheme — Rs 4,000 as pension to senior citizens, widows, single women, differently abled, beedi workers, toddy tappers, weavers, AIDS and filaria patients, and kidney patients undergoing dialysis. The sources informed us that this scheme will be among the six guarantees.

In the SC/ST Declaration announced by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress has promised to give Ambedkar Abhaya Hastam — financial assistance of Rs 12 lakh to SC and ST households. While incorporating this scheme in the six guarantees, the party is working on including OBCs in the list, sources informed.

The Youth Declaration announced by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi promises to generate two lakh jobs in the first year of forming the government and implementing fee reimbursement for students.
The Congress leadership is considering including OBC and women’s issues in the sixth guarantee. Sources informed that Telangana Congress is considering free travel for women in TSRTC buses.