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Raising social security pension amounts, increasing financial assistance given under the 'Rythu Bandhu' investment support scheme for farmers and providing LPG cylinders at Rs 400 each are some of the promises made by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti for the upcoming assembly elections in Telangana.
Releasing the party manifesto for the November 30 assembly polls, BRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said all 93 lakh families living below the poverty line (BPL) in the state would be provided life insurance cover of Rs five lakh and that the government would bear the cost of the premium.
Rao, also known as KCR, said the social security pension, which currently stands at Rs 2,016, will be increased to Rs 5,000 per month gradually over the next five years.
According to the manifesto, it will be increased to Rs 3,016 in the first year after the BRS returns to power, and then be raised incrementally up to Rs 5,000 in the next four years.
Similarly, pension for Divyang people (persons with disabilities) will be enhanced to Rs 6,016 in the coming five years, from the existing Rs 4,016.
Under the 'Rythu Bandhu' scheme in which farmers get Rs 10,000 per annum per acre, the payments will be enhanced gradually to Rs 16,000 per annum over the next five years.
The BRS, after returning to power, will give each gas cylinder at Rs 400 to 'eligible beneficiaries' and the remaining cost will be borne by the state government, the manifesto said, alleging that 'the BJP-led government at the Centre has put an unbearable burden on the common man with a sharp rise in the prices of LPG cylinders'.
The BRS manifesto also promises Rs 15 lakh health insurance cover to all eligible beneficiaries under the 'Arogya Sri' health scheme, increasing it from the present Rs five lakh.
It has also promised to distribute of fine rice through Fair Price shops soon after the party comes to power, and provide a livelihood allowance of Rs 3,000 per month to 'all deserving poor women'.
House sites would be provided to the poor who have no house in the state, the manifesto said, adding that the current housing policy is good and (will) continue.
KCR alleged that the old pension scheme for government employees being implemented by some states in view of the election promises made by the respective ruling parties is boomeranging.
The Centre is not agreeing to bring back the old pension scheme, he indicated.
The representatives of government employees in the state had met him and a committee will be appointed to study the issue, he said.
Rao, who expressed confidence that his party would return to power, said the promises announced by the BRS would be implemented within six to seven months after forming the government.
Before releasing the manifesto, the CM said his government implemented 90 per cent of the welfare schemes though they were not mentioned in the manifesto for the previous elections.
Responding to the BRS manifesto, state Congress President and MP A Revanth Reddy said the ruling party's manifesto is a copy of the promises made to people by the Congress in the past two years.
"BRS leaders, all these days, questioned Congress on the implementability of the promises made by the party but the manifesto released by BRS proves that the promises announced by Congress can be implemented," the Pradesh Congress Committee president said.
BRS leaders have lost the right and opportunity to question the Congress, he said.
He dismissed the BRS allegations that Congress would distribute money to voters in the elections and that money seized from a person in Karnataka was supposed to be sent to him (Revanth Reddy).
The PCC president said he challenges KCR to take an oath along with him at the Telangana Martyrs Memorial in Hyderabad on October 17 that they would fight elections without distributing money and liquor to electorate.
He said he would reach the memorial on October 17 to take such an oath.
Revanth Reddy said his 'second challenge' to CM KCR is to deposit the salaries to government employees and social security pensions to 55 lakh beneficiaries in the state on November 1.