New Delhi:
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made a new poll promise for former soldiers, saying the party would allow qualified ex-Servicemen lateral entry into the civil services. "Our Ex-Servicemen are India’s pride & must be given the respect they deserve. We will allow qualified Ex-Servicemen lateral entry into the Civil Services. The Central Armed Police Forces will be opened up to Ex-Servicemen under the age of 40," Gandhi tweeted.
Our Ex-Servicemen are India’s pride & must be given the respect they deserve.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 3, 2019
We will allow qualified Ex-Servicemen lateral entry into the Civil Services.
The Central Armed Police Forces will be opened up to Ex-Servicemen under the age of 40.
The manifesto was released by party Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior leader P Chidambaram among others.
For farmers, Congress promised to put them on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (freedom from loans).
This will be done through remunerative prices, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit, the party said, adding it will present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year, if voted to power.
Speaking on the occasion at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi said the Congress will allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to poor if voted to power.
(With PTI inputs)