Guwahati: The Congress has pledged 33% reservation for women in urban local bodies in addition to a monthly old age pension of Rs 3,000 in Nagaland.
Moreover, the party pledged to fortify the state’s eastern districts, pay 100% of MGNREGA funds, provide zero-interest loans for higher education, and provide clean water and sanitary facilities for all urban and local communities.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, AICC media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera said: “Our manifesto endeavours to cover every section of society.”
Khera asserted that the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government had engorged thousands of billions of dollars, leaving the state in a lap of scandals, despite the Congress having left state governance in a respectable position in 2003.
“It will be our priority to channelize the resources and judiciously utilize them for strengthening the infrastructure, providing modern amenities like public libraries, reverse osmosis (RO) drinking water tanks for villages, roads to farms, sewerage, hostels for colleges etc,” Khera said.
He claimed that the talks at the prime minister’s level were initially approved by the Congress-led governments after being requested by “our rebel commanders.”
The Congress leader charged Rio with always acting with mala fide intentions by conveniently establishing and leading a consultative committee for peace during the Congress-led Union government’s tenure from 2004 to 2014 and then dissolving it at his own convenience.
“He must tell the people of Nagaland his real intention all along,” Khera said.
He claimed that Rio’s true motive was to deceive the “trusting people of Nagaland” because he was unable to resolve the Naga political issue as promised in his party’s 2003 campaign slogan and wished to buy time to maintain his position of power.
Khera claimed that Union home minister Amit Shah has again broken his word about discussing “Frontier Nagaland” after the polls and that the Congress had put out a workable and responsible programme with five goals for the state’s eastern regions.
“It will be our priority to safeguard the interests of Nagaland on all fronts,” he added.