Rahul Gandhi announces Congress’ ‘5 guarantees for women’

Dhule (Maharashtra), March 13 : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday said that the partys Five Guarantees for Women will bring prosperity to half of the countrys population and assured that the party will immediately implement womens reservations if voted to power.

Addressing a Womens Rights and Justice Meeting here -- when Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge unveiled the partys proposals online -- Rahul Gandhi said that they would give financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to each woman in a poor family, and implement 50 reservations in the Central government jobs for them.

The Five Guarantees for ensuring justice to women are -- Mahalaxmi, Aadhi Abadi-Pura Haq, Shakti Sanman, Adhikar Maitri and Savitribai Phule Hostels, which were announced during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Wednesday afternoon, which was greeted with cheers and applause by the gathering.

Criticising the Central government, Rahul Gandhi said that in the last 10 years, the women of the country have got nothing and their burdens have increased owing to inflation, unemployment, safety and security-related issues.

He said that under the Mahalaxmi scheme, one woman member of a poor household will be given Rs 1,00,000 per year; under Aadhi Abadi-Pura Haq, women will be entitled to 50 per cent jobs in the Central government; Shakti Sanman will double the Centres contributions to the monthly salaries of Anganwadi, Asha and Midday Meal workers in the country; while Adhikar Maitri envisages a para-legal/ legal assistant appointed in every village panchayat as womans friend to make them aware of their rights and provide necessary help on various issues.Besides, under the Savitribai Phule Hostels initiative, at least one working womens hostel would be set up in all the district headquarters around the country, and the number would be doubled subsequently.

Earlier, Kharge said that the Congress had announced other major initiatives to ensure participatory justice for farmers and youth.

Rahul Gandhi said that the Central government announced the womens reservations in a frenzy.

He said the Congress would implement its women-centric promises immediately after assuming power.

"Our stand is that the representation of women should be increased in all places including the legislatures and the Parliament.

We shall also conduct a Caste Census and an Economic Survey to ascertain the participation of women, Dalits, Minorities and Backward Communities in the national mainstream," the Congress MP said.

Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba pointed out that the Congress has always worked for the welfare of women and referred to several laws like maternity leave, anti-dowry act, anti-female feticide, anti-women abuse act and others to empower them.

Senior party leaders like AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala, AICC Secretary Sonal Patel, state President Nana Patole, Congress Legislature Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, state Mahila Congress chief Sandhya Savvalakhe, and others were present.

On Tuesday, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Maharashtra in Nandurbar and after wending through Dhule, it will proceed to Nashik on Thursday and finally reach Mumbai by the weekend at the historic Chaityabhoomi in Dadar.

On Sunday, the Congress-INDIA bloc leaders will formally launch their Lok Sabha campaign with a mega-rally at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park.

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