Karnataka poll: Cong releases manifesto

The Congress on Thursday released its manifesto for the forthcoming Karnataka polls. The Congress has chalked out a separate manifesto for Bangalore. Apart from promises of providing 25 kg rice at Rs 2 and a free colour TV to families living below the poverty line, the Congress has also promised 24-hour electric supply to both urban and rural areas.

The manifesto's highlights:

Implementation of the Central government's loan waiver scheme.

Loan facilities at 3 per cent interest rate to farmers, women's self help groups and craftsmen.

24-hour electricity supply to both urban and rural areas

Increasing free power supply under the Bhagya Jyothi Scheme to 25 units per household.

Colour TVs to families with BPL cards.

Houses for 15 lakh families.

25 kgs of rice at Rs 2 to BPL card holders.

Free notebooks for students up to standard 10.

Stipend of Rs 1,200 per month to unemployed youths, who have completed their SSLC, for two years.

Increasing the monthly pension for widows, the elderly and the disabled, from Rs 400 to Rs 600.

Reservation for Other Backward Classes in all cooperative institutions

Loan waiver up to Rs 25,000 to all beneficiaries who have obtained loans from Scehduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe, backward classes and minority development corporations.

Establishments of Cancer hospitals at Belgaum and Gulbarga.

Toilets for every household with no toilets

Highlights of the Bangalore manifesto:

Investment of Rs 50,000 crore to improve the infrastructure of Bangalore.

Creation of a single agency to bring all service providers such as water, transport, housing, power under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike

Improving the condition of roads.

Providing metro service to BBMP areas.

Upgrading all railway stations to international standards.

Construction of a dedicated Express highway to the Bengaluru International Airport.

Development of 500 slums in Bangalore.