Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Sunday claimed that it would form the next Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) council by unseating the ruling BJD in the February 6 elections.Releasing the party’s poll manifesto, senior Congress leaders of the district said they would put a united fight this time shedding the intraparty differences so as to form the council for the first time since the formation of the CMC. While the BJP had formed the council with the help of the BJD in 2003, the BJD alone formed the council in 2009.
“We will put up candidates in all the 59 wards and are determined to win enough seats to form the council,” asserted Cuttack City Congress president Md Moqim, ruling out any pre-poll or post-poll alliance. While the party is yet to finalise its candidates, the party released its 16-point poll manifesto, promising to provide a transparent and corruption-free council.
“If voted to power, we will waive the holding tax of every household by 50 per cent and provide at least two mosquito nets to each family every year until we ensure a mosquito-free city,” Moqim said, quoting the manifesto. The manifesto also promises to put in place a permanent mechanism to tackle the inherent waterlogging problem of the city.
The Congress too promises to ensure inclusion of Cuttack in the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) project of the Government of India and ensure food security for all poor people of the city.
The party also promises to improve the health and education sector by giving a facelift to all municipal hospitals and schools. Training its gun towards the BJD, the Congress promises a high-level inquiry against the tainted BJD coprporators, who were involved in the recent relief material loot that took place after the severe cyclone in October last.
Providing vending zones, aid to old persons, widows and physically-disabled persons, rehabilitation of unemployed youths and no eviction of slum dwellers without prior rehabilitation also find mention in the manifesto.