ELECTION MANIFESTO-2009
1.Important issues before the country
The global economic crisis that has caused collapse of the economy and retrenchment lakhs of employees working in financial and technical institutions and closing down hundreds of business firms in foreign countries. Though not in that magnitude it is having its effects on Indian economy as well.
Lakhs of Indians including skilled labours, who had been employed in various foreign countries, especially in the developed countries, who have lost their jobs are returning to India.
Not only has this affected the contributions of the NRIs to our economy, but has created the problems of rehabilitating them.
The plight of Indian skilled workers returning home because of global meltdown deserve urgent attention. The skilled Indian workers in the past have remitted huge amounts of money, which has helped the country in swelling its forex reserves. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to help these personnel, small/medium scale enterprises by giving them liberal loans at a very concessional rate.
The mixed economy we pursue giving equal importance to public sector, private sector and joint sector has helped us to withstand the onslaught of the world economic recession. But it has slowed down our economic growth, increased our unemployment problems and other related matters. It has reduced export business and multiplied our problems in the sector.
Two packages have already been declared by the government and the banks and government has adopted some measures to ease the situation. But still the situation has not been brought under control.
The onslaught of the global economic recession has started affecting our economy also. Large-scale retrenchments, lay offs, causalisation of employees are creating serious employment problems.
Our economic reforms should necessarily be implemented with a human face. It shall not affect the employment sector negatively.
Under the circumstances, our industries have to concentrate on goods for domestic consumption. Domestic consumption should be encouraged for which the purchasing capacity of the people should be improved. Cheaper goods to meet market competition should be targeted.
The growth in the agriculture sector will certainly contribute to the purchasing power of the people to some extent. More investment on infrastructure development, widening the scope of employment guarantee scheme and on other rural development activities would improve the purchasing capacity of the people.
The Employment Guarantee Scheme will be a blessing for the unemployed rural poor and it will contribute a lot to improve their purchasing capacity.
In this connection, NCP insists on increasing the scope of the NREGS. More days of work should be guaranteed and all the people prepared to work should be covered by the scheme and the wages paid to them should be reasonably increased.
Self help groups should be encouraged to take up small industrial units for producing consumer goods should be encouraged. More and more infrastructure activities and schemes should be taken up by the government departments. The government and the banks should come out with financial support for these activities. More private investment should be attracted for infrastructure development. They should be encouraged in air connectivity and road connectivity between all state capitals. Inter-linking national rivers should be taken up under joint venture.
In view of the collapse of a large number of banks and insurance companies in developed countries consequent on the world economic crisis, our banks and insurance companies should be protected from foreign companies and private players.
Public undertakings of strategic importance should not be disinvested.
2.Human Resource Development
The basic requirement of human development is education. Every step should be taken to improve the employability of our youths. General education should be made employment oriented.
The following guidelines will be followed in our education system:
A)Speedy and effective implementation of the universalisation of primary education, vocationalisation of secondary education and modernization of higher education, so as to improve their employability, enable them to take up self employment schemes and to improve their expertise.
B)Equal opportunity for students of all sections to get educated in prestigious institutions of higher education.
C)Infrastructure facilities for imparting universal primary education in each and every village.
D)Sufficient number of scholarships should be awarded for students of SC/ST and OBC categories.
E)Reservation of seats and scholarship should be awarded to the students of economically backward sections of the upper class communities.
F)Science and technology should be given its due importance in the system of our education.
3.Health
A new public health policy recognizing the health rights of the people in general and the marginalized sections in particular would be introduced.
Primary health centres would be provided with necessary doctors, staff, medical equipments and regular medical supply.
Life saving medicines would be made available at affordable rates.
Mid day meals programme for school going children would be strengthened.
Comprehensive schemes to combat malnutrition among the children.
Specialty hospitals would be started in different parts of the country where medical treatment would be available at reasonable rates.
4.Management of Health Institutions and Specialty Hospitals
Health service is one of the most neglected service run by the government. The health institutions and hospitals with all modern facilities and specialists should be started on public, private, partnership basis as is being successfully implemented in states like Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
5.Social security
Time bound schemes for making drinking water, electricity should be made available to all the villages.
Public distribution system should be strengthened .
Minimum requirement of food supply should be assured through PDS outlets to all the needy irrespective of poverty line.
Comprehensive housing scheme for rehabilitation of all dwellers of slums, bastis and tribal colonies provided with drinking water, electricity, healthcare and education institutions should be implemented.
6.Energy
Our energy shortage has to be addressed with priority. We have to give more importance to non conventional energy.
A)Unless and until substantial budgetary provision is made by the Union government and state governments as well as encourage private investment for generation of energy, the gap between demand and supply in the energy sector cannot be eliminated.
B)We will give necessary help to harness solar energy. Similarly, we shall encourage harnessing of Wind Energy for which there is great scope in our country.
C)Instead of depending entirely on foreign countries for nuclear material supply for our nuclear plants, we should have long term but specific plans for developing Thorium, which we have in abundance in our country for nuclear power generation in the place of Uranium.
7.Agriculture
Agriculture sector, which provides livelihood to about 65% of population in our country will be given topmost priority in our development schemes.
A)Budget allotment for agriculture sector and irrigation will be substantially increased.
B)More land will be brought under cultivation.
C)Special efforts will be made for further increase in production and productivity in agriculture with special attention to the production of oil seeds and pulses.
D)Remunerative prices will be made available for all agriculture products including cash crop products.
E)Agro processing units and agro based industries will be encouraged.
F)Equal importance will be given to the development of diary farming and up gradation of cattle wealth.
G)Development of fisheries sector also will be intensified. Assistance will be given to the fishing community for deep sea fishing and processing and export.
8.Industry
The implementation of the new economic reforms in a hurried and haphazard manner without providing the infrastructure facilities or making the ground work, instead of opening up the world market to Indian Industries, left the doors of our domestic markets wide open to foreign goods with the result that our domestic markets are flooded with foreign products and many of our small and medium scale industries are either closed down or are sold out to multinational companies outright or by share participation.
The following steps would be taken to save our industries from further problem and to boost up the morale of industrialists to meet the global challenge.
A)Sustained reforms of Industrial Sector to meet the growing market competition in world economy would be continued.
B)Technological and managerial training to domestic industrialists for modernization and diversification of products would be organized.
C)Financial and marketing assistance for export oriented industries would be provided.
D)Disinvestments would be made on specific norms only and the procedure would be made transparent.
E)PSUs of strategic importance would not be disinvested.
9.Political Stability
Political stability is a pre-condition for a development oriented economy. But political stability is not the mere continuation of a government for a specific period of time, it is the stability of the ideological conviction of the political leadership and their ability to lead the country towards the achievement of the economic and social goals set out by the constitution before the country.
10.Fixed Term for Lok Sabha
We stand for a Constitutional Amendment to provide a fixed term for the Lok Sabha.
Legislation would be passed for cleansing politics and electoral process of criminalization and the influence of money power.
11.Formation of New States
Considering the problem of regional disparities and the popular agitation for the creation of a separate state in that region, the demand for the formation of such a state will be supported by the party if it is found economically viable as well.
We support the Legitimate demand of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for statehood and full state status for Delhi.
12.Centre-State Relations
As we have a federal system, different political parties opposing each other are at the helm of affairs, some in the Centre and others in the different states and as the mutual co-operation and coordination of these governments are essential for development of the country, the union government would handle the problems of all the states with a national perspective and maintain cordial Centre-State relationship without giving room for any kind of discrimination, political or other to come in-between.
13.National Security
National Security of the country is of prime importance and so specific measures would be taken to strengthen the National Security of the Country.
Ensuring Co-ordinated operations of Defence Services.
Maintaining long term alert on our national borders.
Taking vigilant and sustained diplomatic action for ensuring protection of national security and territorial integrity of the country.
Establishment of a permanent Pay Commission for Defence Personnel.
14.Foreign Policy
The main thrust in our foreign policy would be the following:-
To play a proactive role to make the United Nations reflect the world opinion against unprovoked aggression either military or economic, against any other country.
Maintain an Independent Indian position on all world affairs.
Ensure universal non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.
Ensure better relations with all our neighbours and try to solve all disputes through negotiations.
Keep up commercial diplomacy side by side with political diplomacy with all leading nations of the world.
Strengthen diplomatic ties to ensure membership for India in the Security Council.
15.Management of Economy
Economic growth would be worked out as reflected in life of the common man.
Economic reforms process would be continued with necessary safeguards for domestic concerns.
Credit facilities on easy terms for agriculture and small industries sectors would be made available.
Effective steps to contain inflation would be taken.
16.Cooperative Banks
Necessary amendments in the Banking Regulation Act will be made to enable cooperative banks in India to do banking operations as any other private sector banking institution.
17.Insurgency
Insurgency in the North-East: NCP vows to solve the problems of insurgency by ending regional imbalance that is being continued in the northeastern states and Assam.
18.Disaster Management
NCP will evolve suitable and scientific measures to cope with the repeated flood situations and erosion problems in Assam and the neighbouring states.
Necessary relief and rehabilitation measures should be extended to the affected people by the National Disaster Management Committee. Interlinking of our national rivers should be taken up as a means of controlling the flooding of those rivers.
19.Anti-Dumping Authority
In order to ensure level playing field for domestic industries a strong and independent Anti-Dumping authority would be established.
20.WTO
The challenges of WTO like Trade and Intellectual Property Rights (TIPR) would be strongly dealt with, Patent rights of Indian crops and herbs would be protected.
21.Khadi and Village Industries
Traditional Sector Industries like Khadi and Village Industries would be developed by special support with steady supply of raw materials, upgraded technologies, diversification of products, marketing linkages and craftsman training.
22.Small Scale Industries
Encouragement to Small Scale Industrial enterprises would be significantly improved by providing them meaningful and smooth access to credit and technology.
23.Information & Technology
Promotion of computer software industry would be expedited.
Carrying internet service to the people would be prioritized.
24.Foreign Trade
Efforts for the acceleration of the export growth would be strengthened .
Diversification of Export basket would be expedited.
25.Development of Tourism
Special attention would be given for the promotion and development of tourism in the country involving the private sector significantly for creation of infrastructure as well as management.
26.Labour
A)Trade union rights of workers including the rights to strike would be protected.
B)Law for labour protection for all workers of unorganized sector assuring minimum employment or unemployment wages would be enacted.
C)Existing special laws and legal provisions giving protection to women labourers would be closely monitored.
D)Child labour would be eliminated with utmost priority.
E)Social security scheme to cover all the unorganized labour would be introduced.
F)Productivity enhancement and skill up gradation as elements of legally negotiated labour management agreements would be encouraged.
G)Protection for unorganized labour.
27.Environment Protection
Development programmes would be implemented in such a way that in the process of development, the concerns of environment protection are taken cognizance of.
A)National Bio-diversity law would be enacted with special care to help protect the Traditional Knowledge of the local and tribal communities and connected intellectual property rights.
28.Social Justice
Reservation for the socially and economically backward sections of the society including SCs and STs in higher and professional education as well as in Government Services and Public Undertakings as a means of ensuring due share for such sections in the running of administration would be introduced.
Efforts also will be made to provide reservation on the pattern of SC/ST to communities like nomadic tribes, shepherds and so on. At the same time due care will be taken that it will not affect our previous commitments to SC/ST and OBC communities.
Reservation will be provided to weaker sections of the society, like Muslims and Marathas etc. in education, jobs and government services. Financial assistance also will be provided for them for education and self-employment. But due care will be taken that this will not affect the existing facilities that are provided to SC/ST and OBC sections.
29.Waiver of Debts
UPA government has provided debt waiver to the farmers and fishermen.
Debt waiver on the same pattern will be provided for landless agriculture labourers, and other weaker sections of the society like scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward communities.
30.Minorities
Appropriate representation for minorities in Public Services as well as in semi government bodies would be provided for.
Personal laws of the minorities as already existing would be respected and safeguarded until the concerned communities opt for changes.
The Supreme Court decision on Ayodhya dispute would be implemented.
Minority Commission would be given constitutional status.
31.Implementation of Sachar Committee Recommendations
NCP was the first party in the UPA to welcome the Sachar Committee Recommendations and Shri Pawar had taken the initiative to get recommendations implemented without delay.
We are of the opinion that all the recommendations including job reservation to Muslim candidates should be implemented within a stipulated time frame.
32.Women
Empowerment of women would be enacted providing due share for women in all the elected bodies of Public Administration from the Panchayat to the Parliament including one third reservation for women in Parliament and in State Legislative bodies.
Due representation for women in all decision making positions in the Executive and judiciary at all levels would be ensured.
Law would be enacted against sexual harassment at the workplaces.
Atrocities and dowry related crimes against women would be promptly dealt with and exemplary punishment meted out to the guilty.
33.Protecting of Girl Child
For centuries, there is a discrimination against the girl child. This illogical and ill-conceived notion has to be changed. Our party will embark upon a special programme to remove this discrimination and give various monetary incentives to the parents for having the girl child, and as a result of this incentive, girl child will no longer be treated as a burden but will be considered as arrival of Lakshmi.
Survival, protection and development of the girl child would be ensured.
34.Youth
Employment orientation of education and skill development courses would be given to the youth so as to enhance their employability to suit the growing demands of the changing needs of the society and advancement of technologies.
They would be involved in several constructive programmes like-functional literacy, universalisation of elementary education, population education, campaigns of environment protection and against drug addiction and the crimes thereof.
They would be trained in social and developmental activities and also for getting the youth force involved in creating an atmosphere where every one enjoys equal rights irrespective of the religion or caste they profess, the language they speak and the region they come from and live in peace and harmony.
35.Employment
More employment opportunities would be generated in the agricultural sector by revitalizing the sector resorting to prompt remedial measures to the farmers’ problem.
Employment oriented domestic industries would be strengthened.
Multi skill development programmes amongst potential job seekers through employment-oriented education would be implemented.
Pro-active creation of employment opportunities including self employment in all sectors including industries, Trade & Services would be encouraged.
36.Removal of Poverty
More than 35% of the population live below the poverty line. Concerted efforts would be taken to tackle the problem.
Massive Resource allocation for beneficiary oriented asset creation and income generating programmes would be continued.
Organized and prioritized expenditure would be sanctioned to meet the basic minimum needs like drinking water supply, construction of roads as a part of employment assurance scheme.
Prompt implementation of the poverty alleviation programmes like the creation of basic infrastructure like; education, health, agriculture, marketing, transport and communications through meaningful delegation of powers to Panchayati Raj Institutions would be implemented.
Strengthening of targeted public distribution system would be monitored.
37.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Full flow of funds for the Special Components Plan for the Scheduled Castes (SCP) and for the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) would be ensured.
Poverty alleviation programmes would be prioritized for more intensive implementation in areas of concentration of SCs and STs.
Habitations with concentration of SCs and STs would be identified to provide for special drive to provide safe drinking water, primary health care, primary education and shelter.
Special recruitment drives for STs would be organized.
An exclusive commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with constitutional status would be established.
38.Distribution of Land
Distribution of land to all the landless people among the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities in the villages, who depend on agriculture for their livelihood will be implemented within a stipulated time frame.
39.Housing
All the houseless people living in bastis and slums should be provided with proper houses within the next five years.
40.Job Reservation in Private Institutions
Job reservation should be provided for by legislation to the SC/ST people in all the private institutions as well.
Reservation of seats in higher educational institutions and for jobs should be extended to those converts from SC/ST sections of other religions.
41.OBCs
Scholarship at various levels of education would be instituted for securing educational advancement of OBCs.
27% reservation introduced for students of OBC communities should be implemented in all institutions of higher education from next academic year.
Pre-Examination coaching programme for OBCs would be strengthened so as to facilitate their recruitment into public service easier.
Upgradation of the traditional skills in certain employments like weaving, pottery, metal works, stone cutting and so on would be introduced.
42.Senior Citizens
With our life expectancy getting improved, the number of aged people in our society is also increasing. Sense of dependency and distributive is hasting amongst the old.
They should be helped to live a life of dignity and helped feel wanted in the society.
The capabilities of senior citizens would be transformed into valuable social assets especially in social projects like Adult Education, Immunization, AID preventions, Environment protection, family welfare and so on.
All 60+ persons would be defined as senior citizens and government identity cards would be issued to them.
The central assistance to National Old Age Pension for destitute elderly would be reasonably increased.
43.Governance and Administration
For governance to be effective and successful, the administration should be sound and neutral in politics.
Vigorous efforts would be made to streamline the administration in order to make it depoliticized, transparent and accountable.
The decision making process would be simplified to avoid delay.
Stringent action would be taken against the officers and decision-making authorities indulging in corrupt practices so as to provide a corruption free administration.
Decentralization of power and decision making down to the Panchayat level would be introduced by enactment of Law.
44.Judicial Reforms
Alarming numbers of Litigations are pending in the High Courts of the country – many of the cases are pending for years together. Justice delayed is justice denied.
The judiciary should be strengthened. Additional number of judges should be appointed at all levels for meeting out justice to the people entangled in litigations for years. Number of judges and courts should be increased. Efforts should be made to reach the target of 50 judges per million population.
The following steps would be taken so as to facilitate the speedy disposal of the cases in the Court:-
A)Standardized manpower norms would be laid down for provision of judicial personnel to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
B)The Chief Justice would be made the administration head of the judicial service.
C)An All India Judicial Service for the selection and appointment of judges and other judicial service personnel would be established.
