PROMISES TO KEEPA Comparative Review of Election Manifestos 2009

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan

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Manifestos Released CPM – 16 Mar 2009 CPI – 21 Mar 2009 Congress – 24 Mar 2009 BJP – 3 April 2009 NCP – 3 April 2009

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Key Commitments: Health Investment: 5% GDP for health (CPM) Public Health: Upgrade, expand (Left, INC) Health Insurance - RSBY (INC) Privatization: Regulatory authority (BJP) / No to

Privatization (CPI, CPM) Strengthening JSY, 6 State of the Art Hospitals (BJP) New Public Health Policy, Life saving medicines at

affordable rates (NCP)Missed (wrt. People’s Manifesto demands): Right to Health Act, Free primary health services New Legislation for PLHVA Comprehensive program for maternal and infant health

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Key Commitments: Education Investment - 6% GDP for health (Left) Policy - RTE Act & CSS (Left), New Policy & Edu. Comm

(BJP) Exclusion: Free Education (INC), Ladli Lakshmi (BJP), 20%

SSA funding for Minority Blocks (CPI) Skills & Support: NSDM (INC), National Student Bank

(BJP) Communalism: Monitoring of curriculum (INC)Missed (wrt. People’s Manifesto demands): No mention of investments, RTE or steps to curb

privatization of education by INC, BJP

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Commitments: Work & Social Security NREGA – 100 Days @ Rs. 100 / day for all (INC), To all for

as many days as demanded (CPM), 2% GDP for implementation (CPI), UEGA (Left parties)

Women - Special provisions in NREGA for women (CPI), 1/3rd Central Govt. jobs for women (INC), Social security for working women (CPM), Equal wages for women (Left), Bank accounts for women (INC, BJP); Pref. contracts for marginalized groups (INC)

Unorganized: Stronger implementation of UNW & ISM Acts (Left), Setting of National Minimum Wage (CPI), Labour laws for IT / BPO / SEZ workers (CPI)

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Commitments: Work & Social Security Workers’ Bank & National Child Labour Commission (BJP),

Special programs for urban poor / high risk groups (INC, BJP)

Agricultural Labour – Loan waiver for distressed peasants (CPM), Separate law for Agricultural Workers (Left)

1.2 million IT enabled jobs in rural areas (BJP)

Missed: Mention of UEGA by INC, BJP Investments specified for Unorganized Sector Specific mechanisms and provisions for USW, ISMW Acts

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Commitments: Land & Forests SEZ: Amendment of SEZ Act – and CRZ notifications (CPI), Ban

on farmland conversion and National Land Use Policy (BJP), Market rates & stakeholder options (INC)

FRA: Stronger implementation, amended definition of forest dwellers, protection & restoration of tribal lands (CPM)

R&R: Introduction of R & R Act (INC) Amendment of Land Acquisition Act (across) Implementation of Land Reforms (Left) National Bio-diversity Law (NCP)Missed: Scrapping of SEZ Act, Status on reversal of ULCA, Regulation of land

development activities and a/c to local communities, Land earmarked for marginalized groups

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Key Commitments: Agriculture Investment: Doubling of investment (CPI, NCP) Credit: Crop Insurance and low interest rates (Across), Loan

Waiver (BJP) Support: Minimum Support Price (Across), Commodity Board to

fix floor prices (CPM), Kisan Cards & Kisan Vigyan Kendras (CPI), Direct income support to ecologically vulnerable areas (INC), Support to related industry (NCP)

Review of Patent Act (CPI), Regulation on GM foods / crops (Left, BJP)

Irrigation: National Program for SC/ST (CPM), 35 million hectares additional irrigated farmland (BJP)

Anti-dumping Authority and Protection of Patents (NCP)Missed: National Irrigation Mission, Farmer Status for WomenSupport to SC/ST farmers, Drought and flood areas package

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Key Commitments: Food Security National Food Security Act (INC) Universal PDS FOR 14 essential commodities (Left), Food

Subsidy Programs (INC, BJP) Universal ICDS (Across), Double salaries for Anganwadi

workers (BJP), No privatization (Left) Community kitchens for urban poor (INC, BJP) Food stock buffer in event of global crisis (BJP)Missed: Status of Investment Targeted programs for backward districts and marginalized

groups Expanding PDS and protecting essential commodities (INC,

BJP)

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Key Commitments: Infrastructure Water: Right to Water (Across), National Water Policy and Water

Management System (Left), No privatization (Left) Housing: Housing as a FR (CPI), 10 lakh housing units (BJP),

Urban Housing & Sanitation program (INC, NCP) Roads: National Highway Development & Gram Sadak Yojana

(BJP) Power: Rural Electrification and Non-conventional energy (across),

Increased nuclear power (INC), IT for villages (INC, BJP), Budgetary provisions and private investment (NCP)

Disaster Management measures across states (NCP)Missed: Macro plan and investments for urban to rural infrastructure Targeted development for marginalized communities Accountability and regulation of private operators

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Key Commitments: Economy Plan Expenditure at 10% GDP (CPM), Introduction of GST (INC), Tax

Exemption & Abolishing FBT AND CST (BJP) PSUs: Protection and promotionof viable PSUs (Left), Protection in

manufacturing / strategic sector (INC, NCP), Promotion of SMEs (Across), Promotion of Tourism (BJP)

Retail: Ban of FDI (Left, BJP), Regulation of corporate retailers (Left) Regulation of Corporate and Financial Sector (Across) Exclusion: Affirmative action in private sector (INC, Left), Equal

Opportunity Commission for Minorities (INC, Left), Support to disabled groups (Across)

Co-ops: Constitutional Provision (INC), Model Law (BJP), Amendment of Banking Regulation Act (NCP)

Missed: Concrete measures for Corporate Regulation Reservation Act replaced by ‘affirmative action’

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Key Commitments: Social Inclusion Women’s Reservation Bill enacted (across) Sachar Committee Recommendations implemented (INC, Left, NCP) and

Ranganath Commission Report made public (Left) Equal Opportunities Commission (INC, Left) and Constitution status for

Minorities Commission (NCP) Stronger PWD Act (CPI), Opportunities for Disabled (Across) Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana & Tribal Devt. Authority (BJP) National Mission to end Dowry and Female Foeticide (CPM) Law against Sexual Violence, incl. against children (Left) Reservation for Dalits across religions (Left), and OBCs (Left, NCP) Reservation for EWS across communities (INC, BJP) Special support to girl child, high risk, urban poor groups (across) Protection of senior citizens, Old Age Pension (across)Missed: Mandatory inclusion of women and marginalized groups in all asset building

and development programs

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Key Commitments: Governance Police and Judicial Reforms (across), National Judicial

Commission (BJP, Left), Gram Nyayalaya Act strengthened (INC)

Electoral Reforms incl. direct representation system and bar on criminal candidates (Left), Lok Pal Act (CPM)

Parliament approval for international treaties (BJP, CPM) Establishment of PRIs where none exist (CPI) Constitutional amendment for fixed term of LS (NCP) Increased allocation to GPs and new model of urban administration

(INC), Devolution of 50% centrally collected taxes to states (CPM) Minimum 100 days sitting of Parliament (CPI)

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Key Commitments: Governance Creation of smaller states, Uniform Civil Code, National e-

governance plan (BJP) Media Council for regulation of media (CPM) Seats reserved for youth in local governments (INC)Missed: Annual report of works and budgets presented by elected

representatives and govt. agencies in public Stronger mechanisms for public participation and monitoring Strengthening of RTI Election Watch team with official sanction Right to Recall system Protection of women and marginalized group candidates from

harassment and discrimination

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Key Commitments: Peace & Security National Identity Card (INC, BJP) Women and Dalits protected from atrocities (INC) Empowered NHRC to monitor communal and caste violence (INC) Law against Communal Violence and Implementation of Sri

Krishna Commission Report (CPM), Opposition to laws that curb human and democratic rights (CPI) Restoration of Article 370 and regional autonomy for J&K, Ladakh

(Left) Replication of Salwa Judum, New POTA type law, Removal of

article 370 (BJP) Modernization of Defence systems (INC, BJP); PPP in Defence

(BJP), Pay Commission for Defence (BJP, NCP)Missing: Protection of minorities from harassment in the name of terror;

Strengthening of Atrocity Prevention Laws and extension to Minorities, with special provision for women

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Foreign Policy & Global Role Climate Change action (Across), Global Engagement with US, Europe, Africa (INC) Ties with West Asia (INC, Left), Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline

(CPM) Confidence building between India & Pakistan (Left); Show of

strength against terror tactics (INC, BJP) Reworking 123 Agreement and No to Defence ties with US (CPM) Systematic removal of illegal migrants, Fencing of India-

Bangladesh border (BJP) Strengthening ties with NRI / PIOs (INC, BJP) Transparency in FTA / International negotiations (Left)Missing: Priority and composite plan for strengthening peace, security and

economic ties across South Asia