TJS ready to unveil poll manifesto

​Hyderabad: Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) manifesto, which is almost ready to be released, has promised to overhaul liquor policy, review the irrigation projects, reorganisation of districts and mandals. It has also promised to order an inquiry into the government land parcels and allotment of lands in Hyderabad, various welfare and development initiatives.

The TJS State committee, which met at party office at Nampally here on Thursday, deliberated on the manifesto. Elaborating on details at a press meet in the evening, TJS chief Prof Kodandaram said the party had taken suggestions from the State committee on the draft submitted by a separate panel and made some additions.

He said the manifesto focussed on providing a democratic and good government and governance, ensuring social justice, and jobs in government and preference for locals in private sector, providing best of health and education facilities, making agriculture more profitable for the prosperity of farmers, industrial development, urban and rural development, women empowerment, sub-plan for BC, SC/ST, improving road facility in districts with construction of ring roads etc.

TJS chief said as part of welfare programmes, steps would be taken up to cater to demands and needs of employees, including health insurance, pensioners and contract staff, It promised to bring back Telangana employees working in AP, accreditation, health cards and houses for journalists. etc.

Unemployment allowance, filling of one lakh jobs in government in the first year, releasing job calendar every year, pension for Telangana martyrs, construction of martyrs memorial in Hyderabad within one year, withdrawal of cases filed against agitators during Telangana movement etc. will find a place in the party manifesto, he added. Eliciting views on liquor policy, Prof Kodandaram promised to ensure that belt shops are shut down across the State, imposition of restrictions on sale of liquor in shops. It promised stringent steps to curb drug menace, so that Telangana State would not turn into another Punjab.

As regards irrigation projects in State, he said his party suspected that large-scale corruption took place in construction of Kaleshwaram and Palamoor-Ranga Reddy projects etc. where contractors interests were given importance rather than needs of local public, he said.

Commenting on alliance talks, he said the TJS was seeking more clarity on how to work together. He said seat adjustments was not the only problem for finalisation of Mahakutami.

“Alliance phenomenon has been observed more at the national level and there is clear-cut approach on how the national party and other regional parties work together. Unfortunately, such mechanism has not been tried at State levels and hence the main parties are unable to list out their priorities. We hope that the Congress will take into account larger interests of people of Telangana STate into consideration," Kodandaram said.

TJS leader also condemned attack on YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in Visakhapatnam. He said that in democracy there was scope for criticism and counter-criticism by political parties, but this type of attacks is not proper.