The main Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday made a whopping 500 plus promises in its manifesto for the 6 April Assembly elections which includes a shower of doles like Rs 4,000 relief to Covid-19 hit rice ration card holders.

On the lines of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, which passed laws to reserve 75 per cent jobs for locals, DMK president M K Stalin assured legislation to earmark 75 per cent of jobs in industrial houses for locals and promised to press for quota in private sector. Crop and jewel loans (upto 5 sovereigns) of small and marginal farmers in cooperative banks, pending loans of Women Self Help Groups in co-op institutions and educational loans of college students below the age of 30 would all be waived, he said, releasing his party’s manifesto at the party headquarters.

In government town buses, women shall be allowed to travel free of cost and quota for women in government jobs shall be increased from 30 to 40 per cent, he said.

Free computer tablets with data card for students, milk to school students in the mornings to provide nutritional support and distribution of napkins free of cost to girl pupils of schools and colleges were some of the other promises.

The rural employment guarantee programme would see an increase from 100 to 150 days and poor farmers and auto drivers would get Rs 10,000 subsidy to buy farm pumpset and autos respectively, he said. Special courts would be set up to try cases (indicating that cases would be filed) of “corruption against AIADMK ministers,” Stalin said underlining the salient features of the manifesto. While the AIADMK government runs ‘Amma Unavagam’, he said 500 ‘Kalaignar Unavagam’ (eateries) would be set up.

After the ‘first hero’ the candidates list, the manifesto is the ‘second hero,’ he said and promised elevated roads, desalination projects and 5- lakh plus fresh jobs in government sector.

Aiming at a comeback to the corridors of power after a hiatus of 10 years, the party made 505 assurances, which includes measures towards economic revival, protecting farm lands, free three phase electricity for farmers and a separate budget for agriculture and weekly off for police personnel.

If voted to power, petrol and diesel prices would be slashed by Rs 5 and Rs 4 per litre. Stalin promised a proper inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and initiation of legal action again ‘anyone,’ found guilty.

Implementing all promises was possible by eradicating corruption, pursuing measures including austerity and increasing tax revenue, the manifesto asserted.

~With inputs from PTI~