DMK manifesto: ₹100 LPG subsidy, ₹4/5 fuel price cut, job reservation

LPG subsidies and reduction in fuel prices were among the promises that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin committed to while on Saturday releasing the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

The DMK, if voted to power, will also take steps for an early report from the commission probing the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the party has promised.

In major commitments towards women, it has promised an extension of maternity leaves to 12 months. Stalin promised at a press conference a ₹3 reduction on Aavin milk packets. DMK said that education loans of students under the age of 30 would be waived and the government school students will get tablets with free data.

The DMK promised to reduce petrol and diesel prices by ₹5 and ₹4 per litre, respectively, besides providing a ₹100 subsidy on LPG gas cylinders. It has also announced that ration rice card holders in the state will be provided ₹4,000. Besides, property tax won’t be hiked in the state, it promised.

In their manifesto, the DMK has reportedly made 500 promises. Among them were that the party will give more emphasis to make Thirukkural a national book, construct night shelters for street dwellers, allocate ₹1,000 crore for the maintenance of Hindu temples, and ₹200 crore for churches and mosques.

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It said ₹10,000 will be provided to farmers to buy motors. The DMK also promised 75 per cent reservation for locals in industries, besides creation of 500 Kalaignar food stall, similar to the subsidised Amma canteens already existing in the state. The party also has plans to set up Metro transportation system in Trichy, Madurai, Salem, Nellai, and Coimbatore.

Election to the 234-seat assembly will be held in a single phase on April 6 and the votes will be counted on May 2. The Stalin-led party, contesting in alliance with the Congress, is eyeing major gains this election season, much on the lines of its performance during the 2019 Lok Sabha election, where it had won 39 out of the total seats in the state.