The party manifesto was released on Monday in Panjim by former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia who claimed close ties to Goa and its people through his great-grandmother.
Eyeing youth voters in Goa, the Congress party has offered free petrol up to five litres per month to all students if the party manages to form the government this year.
The party manifesto was released on Monday in Panjim by former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia who claimed close ties to Goa and its people through his great-grandmother.
The party released a special manifesto for youths where the party has offered free petrol, free coaching through e-courses to all students appearing for competitive exams, WiFi at colleges and universities among other promises.
Congress had six members in the outgoing assembly of 40 members.
The manifesto also says the party will introduce 2-3-7 scheme where Below Poverty Level (BPL) families will be provided wheat at Rs 2 per kg, rice at Rs 3 per kg and sugar at Rs 7 per kg.
The party has also promised free water and electricity to BPL families while has offered to bring down water and power tariff for domestic consumers to pre-2012 levels.
In what could be considered a nod to Tamil Nadu’s late Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s Amma Canteens that provide cheap food to poor, the party has promised to bring canteens that will provide subsidized food to the needy.
In a bid to take on the political rivals over the charge of corruption, the party said all floating casinos in the Mandovi river will be removed. BJP had been attacking Congress over the issue and had said it was the Congress that had given licenses to the casinos in Goa.
The function brought together the two former CMs Luizino Faleiro and Pratapsinh Rane and former leader of opposition Ramakant Khalap who had been at the throat of Congress in Goa in the early 80s, but lost after he crossed over from Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party to the Congress.
Ironically, while the dais was occupied by the Congress Old Guard, Faleiro in his speech claimed Congress had listened to the people and over 60 per cent of their candidates were fresh ones.
Hasiba Amin, who was Congress’s face of visual media campaign in 2014, said she was happy with the choice of candidates.
When asked why she was not contesting and why the old leaders were still occupying the stage despite claims that the Congress was offering opportunities to youngsters, she claimed even though the dais was shared by the veterans, it was the youth who were driving Congress’ campaign.
Copy Cat Congress
Canteens providing subsidized food is direct copy of the now famous Amma Canteen. The 2-3-7 scheme of providing food grains at subsidized rates is a model now adopted by several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh. Free power is something that Arvind Kejriwal promised to Delhi voters. In Maharashtra, too, late Bal Thackeray had promised free power to farmers but the then Congress CM Sushilkumar Shinde hijacked the idea and announced it before the election code of conduct began in 2009. Free petrol for youths and wifi at colleges and universities is Congress’s attempt to steal BJP’s thunder in Goa where youths are given 3GB data and Rs 100 talktime for free. The party has promised to preserve and maintain Goa’s osmitai (identity) and Goenkarponn (Goanness) for future generations, thus reducing itself to a regional party like Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party that stakes claim for the same.
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