Tamil Nadu Elections: Congress Releases Manifesto, Promises To Train Youth For Government Jobs

Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri on Tuesday released the Congress manifesto for the April 6 Tamil Nadu Assembly election promising to close liquor shops, bring in a law to protect inter-caste marriages and prevent honor killings as well as tax exemption for startups for five years among other things if voted to power. Releasing the manifesto at the party office in Chennai, Alagiri announced that 500 youths would be trained in every district for government jobs.

"We will implement schemes for providing employment to the youth. We will also provide tax exemption for startups and new entrepreneurs for at least five years," Alagiri said. He also announced tax exemption for startups and new entrepreneurs for at least five years.

Alagiri said that if their alliance is voted to power, liquor shops in the state would be shut down. "To protect intercaste marriages and prevent honor killings, a separate law will be passed. We will take all steps to abolish the NEET exam," Alagiri said.

"Our policy is that if states need the NEET exam then states themselves should implement it," he further said. He promised that congress will increase the 7.5 percent reservation quota in medical seats to 10 percent for students of government-run schools.

Alagiri said that new farm laws will be introduced in place of the existing ones adding that Congress would implement the findings of the MS Swaminathan report. "We will give added importance to local bodies and our priority will be to uphold equal rights for women in jobs, education. We will take steps to enable 'poojaris' from all castes to perform rituals in temples."

He alleged that the housing scheme in AIADMK's manifesto is not practical but just an election stunt. "A transparent government that provides more employment opportunities for youth and take measures for upliftment of farmers will make Tamil Nadu prosperous," he said.