Congress’ 5 guarantees to J&K voters: ’ ₹25 lakh health insurance, interest-free loan to women, others’

Ahead of the first phase of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on 18 September, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday announced five major guarantees if the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance came to power.

One of the main promises Kharge made was health insurance scheme providing coverage of ₹25 lakh to every family in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Not only this, Kharge also vowed to fulfil the promise of rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandit migrants.

Addressing an election rally in Anantnag, Kharge said, as quoted by Hindustan Times, "We will fulfil the promise of rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandit migrants made during Manmohan Singh's tenure."

The Congress president read out the promises in the presence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and other senior Congress leaders.

He also hit out at BJP of failing to deliver on its promises. He said, "BJP gives a lot of speeches but there is a lot of difference between action and words...no matter how much BJP tries, Congress and NC's alliance won't weaken."

He added, "They (BJP) said the same thing about creating 2 crore jobs annually across the country, but 10 years have passed, and those jobs haven’t materialized."

Here are Congress' five promises:

1) Health insurance scheme providing coverage of ₹25 lakh to every family in Jammu and Kashmir.

2) To fulfil the promise of rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandit migrants.

3) Monthly benefit of ₹3,000 to women heads of families in Jammu and Kashmir. Adding on an interest-free loan of ₹5 lakh to women.

4) Provision to give 11 kg grains per person through the public distribution system.

5) OBCs to get their rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

The Assembly polling in Jammu and Kashmir will occur in three phases – 18 September, 25 September and 1 October. The results will be announced on 8 October.

With agency inputs.