The Congress in Assam reiterated their pledge of ‘five guarantees’ that the party has promised to the people of the state if it comes back to power.
Addressing the media, senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh and APCC media department chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma on March 24 said that the party will work to generate employment, empower households, bestow respect on women, protect the Assamese identity and provide financial rights to the workers.
“This election is about the vision and roadmap for Assam’s growth story. The Congress party believes that Assam’s growth story will emerge from the core of the Assamese identity. Assam has been fortunate to have a rich cultural, lingual and artistic legacy. All of the 5 guarantees provided by the Congress party revolve around the Assamese identity. The Congress party has a comprehensive vision for the development story of Assam,” Tiwari said.
The leaders highlighted how the development ecosystem will come together to enable the core five guarantees.
On bestowing respect on women, the Congress party said that it will waive off debt for women who have taken loans from micro finance banks. It will provide free of cost state transport for all women. The party further said that it will set up women’s police station in every district while it will set up CCTVs in public places, starting with Guwahati.
The Congress leaders said that free of cost yarn, handloom machine and other associated equipment will be provided to every weaver. They said that it will be mandatory to propagate Assam’s traditional handicrafts in state organizations, schools, hotels, resorts, tourist centres and other places. “Assam will be built and projected as a model state for tourism in the country. Post COVID-19, a secure tourism drive will be conducted across all districts and Assam will be built as a model state for secure tourism. Tourism co-ordination committee will be formed and health and sanitary protocols will be established to boost domestic tourism,” the party said.
The Congress leaders said that the party will work on financial upliftment and welfare of the citizens. “Special emphasis will be given to the registration and identification of street vendors. During the tenure of Tarun Gogoi, this process was started,” they said.
The party listed out various promises for the tea garden workers in the state. “A large portion of land in tea gardens have been illegally kept under control. The BJP had given the false promise of allocating ‘land patta’ to tea tribes. On a priority basis, Congress will allocate these lands to tea tribes and as per the previous Ceiling Act, re-distribute these lands,” the party said.
The landless and homeless persons from the tea garden workers’ community will be allotted land and housing. Free of cost coaching will be provided to students of the Tea Tribes who are preparing for competitive exams like APSC. The private schools in the tea gardens and those of the Tea Tribes owners will be brought under the state government.
“The Congress party is committed towards the holistic development of Assam. With the core focus on the five guarantees, all other schemes will together form a comprehensive ecosystem including infrastructure development of the state, improving health facilities and education and boosting sports,” it said.
The leaders further informed that on March 25, all contestants from the 43 constituencies going to poll in first phase of elections in Assam, will be visiting namghar, temple, church, mosque, gurudwara and any other religious places of belief and vow to fulfil the five guarantees that the Congress party has promised to implement.
