Bangalore:

The Congress on Wednesday released its election manifesto, which promised interest-free loans to farmers, free laptops to pre-university students and rice at Re one per kg to BPL card holders if it came to power in Karnataka, where assembly elections will be held on May 5.

Some of the highlights of the party’s election manifesto that was released by Defence Minister AK Antony were interest-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh and three percent interest up to Rs 5 lakh, establishing of a Rs 1,500 crore natural calamity relief fund and supply of three-phase quality power for eight hours continuously per day.

The party promised to provide free laptops/digital notepads to all PUC students and making Kannada the medium of instructions compulsory and teaching English as a subject from the first standard.

It expressed commitment to total implementation of the Food Security Act and offering Re 1 per kg of rice up to 30 kgs for below-poverty-line ration card holders.

A one-time loan waiver to SC/ST/OBC/women/child/fisheries and minorities development corporation, and carrying forward unspent budgetary allocations of special component plans were some of the promises under the social welfare department.

The party government would establish fast-track courts to try terrorism-related cases and heinous crimes on women and children, and also constitute a state-level committee under the chairmanship of a retired high court judge to look into cases of detention implicating innocent individuals in terrorism related cases.

The party also promised to develop a greater Bangalore interconnecting second Tier cities around the state capital, and review existing structure of Bangalore city corporation and make it administratively viable.

Union ministers Mallikarjuna Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, Rahman Khan, K H Muniyappa and Jitendra Singh and senior Congress leaders Ambika Soni and Oscar Fernandes, former Chief Minister N Dharam Singh, besides leader of opposition in the assembly, Siddaramaiah, were among those present.

source:http://zeenews.india.com