Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday announced five "Mahila Nyay" guarantees, including Rs 1 lakh annually for the poor women and 50 per cent reservation in government jobs if his party is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a women's rally in Maharashtra's Dhule district as part of his ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', Rahul Gandhi said Rs 1 lakh will be deposited annually into the bank accounts of poor women.
He also said that if voted to power at the Centre, the Congress government will give 50 per cent of reservations in government jobs for all women. Rahul Gandhi promised that the government's share in the budget for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, and women working in anganwadis (government-run women and child care centres) and in mid-day meal schemes would be doubled.
He also said that a nodal officer would be appointed to educate women about their rights and help in the fight for their cases, and that the Savitribai Phule hostels will be set up for women in every district of the country, Rahul Gandhi added.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a video message, announced the names of the guarantees as:
Mahalaxmi: To deposit Rs 1 lakh directly into the bank accounts of poor women annually.
Aadhi Aabadi Pura Hakk: 50 per cent reservation for women in government jobs
Shakti Ka Sammaan: The government's contribution to the monthly income of Anganwadi, ASHA and midday meal workers will be doubled.
Adhikar Maitri: A nodal officer will be appointed in every district to educate women about their rights and provide assistance in legal matters.
Savitribai Phule hostel: The government will build at least one hostel for working women at district headquarters. The number of hostels across the country will be doubled.
Rahul Gandhi said that Congress is talking about economic and social justice, and added that the only road to achieve this is to have a caste census. "Once we come to power, the Congress will carry out a caste census and an economic and financial survey across the country. It will be a revolutionary step...we will have the exact data of each caste and its representation in the population," he said.
He claimed that Rs 16 lakh crore of industrialists have been waived off, but not the debts of farmers and youth.
"The BJP weakened Acts like the Forest Rights Act or Land Acquisition Act. We will not only strengthen them but ensure that tribals' claims are settled within one year," he said.
The BJP's governments have wrongly rejected thousands of claims under the Forest Rights Act and denied the tribals access to the jungles, Rahul Gandhi alleged.
The ruling party uses the word `vanvasi' (forest-dwellers) for the Adivasi or tribal population in India to deny the fact of their existence before the arrival of people of other races, the Congress leader said.
"Adivasi' means you are the original owners of this land, water and the forest. The word `vanvasi' does not come with such inheritance. The BJP keeps calling you `vanvasi' but destroys your forests and gives them to Adanis. Your share in the population is around eight per cent, but do you have any representation in major corporate houses or at senior management levels in these private companies? Out of 90 IAS officers who allocate the country's budget, only one officer is tribal. Of every Rs 100 spent in the budget, the tribal officer can decide about the utilisation of only 10 paise," he said.
