'Cong draft manifesto for 2018 polls to be ready by Jan 15'

Karnatak Pradesh Congress Committee's (KPCC) 2018 Assembly election manifesto committee chairman M Veerappa Moily has noted that the draft manifesto for the Congress Party for the forthcoming elections would be ready by January 15, while the committee is also reviewing the implementation of the party's manifesto announced during 2013 elections.

"As per our review, 159 assurances out of 179 assurances given in 2013 manifesto are fulfilled so far, and we will prepare an action-taken report on this issue also. For the first time, public opinion is being systematically collected to prepare the manifesto, and the draft manifesto would be submitted for the party's central manifesto committee after consulting the KPCC president and the chief minister," he said.

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday during the committee's visit to the City to collect suggestions from the party leaders and representatives of various organisations in the region, Mr Moily noted that the committee is holding meetings in Mangaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Davangere zones, while the district-level Vision Document-2025 prepared by the government is also being studied for preparing the manifesto.

The Congress Government in the State has implemented various schemes in the last four-and-a-half years, and 80% of population in the State (five crore) have become the beneficiaries of one or the other scheme of the government.

A State-level committee would also be formed to look into the issue of assurances given in 2013 that could not be implemented so far. Some schemes were continued even without getting grants from the Union Government, he said, adding that the chief minister's dashboard (pratibimba.kar.gov.in) has also been launched to maintain transparency in giving data about the implementation of various schemes.

On NK development

When asked about regional imbalance and progress in Dr Nanjundappa Committee report implementation, Mr Moily stated that due focus would be given to the development of North Karnataka region. A report on the progress of utilisation of funds under Dr Nanjundappa Committee report is also expected by January end, he added.

He said, the chief minister would be asked to release the pending pension grants to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) as special grants.

Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister H K Patil noted that 10,100 pure drinking units have been set up so far, and 3,000 more units are set up, while 150 multi-village drinking supply projects are completed.

Though the Union Government has asked not to take up new projects under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), the State Government would continue to do so by utilising its own resources, he said.

Woman & Child Development Minister Umashree, Congress Party leaders Manickam Tagore, K C Kondaiah, and others were present.