Chennai: Several promises made by the PMK, in its manifesto that was released on Wednesday, like the reversion of education to the State list, contradict with the avowed policies of the BJP government, like the New Education Policy, while the rest of the long list of assurances conform with the popular demands of all the regional parties in the State like the DMK and AIADMK.
Unveiled by party founder S Ramadoss and president Anbumani Ramadoss, the manifesto with ‘social justice’ as the first category, wants the conduct of the caste survey, seeks the removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations in view of the introduction of 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and introducing reservation in the higher judiciary and the private sector.
Focusing on issues relating to the State, the PMK, without minding the fact that it was part of the BJP-led NDA, had sought exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET and raised a demand for sharing 50 per cent of the revenue earned by the Union Government with the State governments and reduction of GST percentage, all of which had been declined by the BJP regime so far.
Besides promising to get 33 per cent reservation for women in admissions for educational institutions and in jobs, the PMK wants 50 per cent of the jobs in Central government offices in Tamil Nadu to people from the State. In the case of Class Four employees, all the jobs in the State should be for the Tamil people, it said.
Stressing on its demand for total prohibition, the PMK wanted the Union Government to compensate the States that would incur losses through the ban on alcohol and also promised tax reforms under which there would be no income tax for those earning up to Rs 7 lakh a year.
It wanted the setting up of a body on the lines of the Hindi Prachar Sabha to propagate Tamil all over the world and announcing all the 22 languages listed in the eight schedule of Constitution as official national languages.
The PMK wanted the Devendrakula Vellalar community to be removed from the Scheduled Castes list and reclassified as a separate group for the purpose of reservation and also the setting up of a Union OBC Welfare Board.
Fixing of Minimum Support Price for all agricultural products, granting of Statehood for the Union Territory of Puducherry, a monthly pension of Rs 3000 for farmers above the age of 60, making Tamil Nadu a State without mines and nuclear reactor, giving up the policy to acquire agricultural land for industrial development and initiating steps to prevent Climate Change were among the other promises.
It also promised to create 3 lakh new jobs in Union Government offices located in Tami Nadu as it would generate 30 lakh jobs all over India and launch a scheme in league with the State government to pay Rs 3000 every month to youth languishing without jobs even three years after registering with the Employment Exchanges.
