NEW DELHI: Contrary to speculation, the Congress is not promising the minority Muslims the benefit of Job reservation in Central services, “in its draft manifesto, the Congress does not make any mention of any Separate quota for the Muslims in government jobs, It only reiterates its commitment to ensure that the Lori ties are adequately represented the government, the police, paramilitary and armed forces, public sector ehierprises and educational institutions. “The manifesto is being released by Congress president and Prime Minister P.V, Narasimha Rao, here soon, ft. however, pledges to extend the existing reservations for Scheduled ‘Castes and Tribes to Dalit Christians as well. The Constitution will be amended to provide for one third reservation for women in the state legislature’s and Parliament. It promises to clear all waiting lists for LPG and telephones in three years: rate a wholly owned subsidiary for rural lending: hand over distribution of power to cooperative societies’ in rural and urban areas; and start IFFCO and KRIBHCO type companies to deliver inputs like away seeds, power and credit to farmers. The party promises the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act to boost housing activity and the privatization of non-core and non-strategic public-sector enterprises. It also says private insurance companies will be allowed to augment and enlarge insurance cover for crop, cattle, health, natural calamities and product liability.
It also says that a Lok Pal to cover all Political office, including that of the Prime Minister, will be setup. Discretionary decisions in the exercise of ministerial power will be made public every quarter.
‘The draft concentrates on the theme of “stability, harmony and development.” Stability, it says, is not a worn ‘UT phrase but a plank on which rests good governance. It goes on to point Out that the only two periods of political instability were when the Congress was not in office at the Center. Giving examples of the fruits of a stable government, it says the success of The new economic policy, reservations for the other backward classes, restoration of peace in Punjab, improvement in the situation in Kashmir ‘and the employment boom since 1991, were all the result of stability.
‘The party has claimed the entire credit for reservations for backward classes becoming a reality, “In 1990, due to its ham-handed and opportunistic approach the Janata Dal Government triggered a virtual caste war in several parts of India. The election ‘of a Congress government in 1991 brought peace to a society that was threatened with disruption by caste strife,” it says.
In the chapter on the “economic boom” in the country, the draft says that the impact of the new industrial policy is evident from the domestic investments and projects worth Rs 5,00,000 crore. In addition, over Rs 37,000 crore of foreign direct investment has also been approved.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 17, 1996
