The Odisha Pradesh Congress has promised to provide unemployment allowance to the youth, a loan waiver and also a pension of Rs 2,000 to farmers in the election manifesto released on Friday.

The manifesto released at the Congress Bhavan on Friday speaks about 90 promises in various sectors and nine guarantees. The pradesh Congress also alleged there has been no progress under the Naveen Patnaik regime and people have been pushed to the brink of poverty and uncertainty. It maintained that only the Congress can bring about pragati (progress) and paribartan (change).

The party said if it came to power the works which could not be done during the 24 years of Naveen Patnaik’s rule, including nine years of coalition government with the BJP, will be completed on a priority basis.

The manifesto was released in the presence of all the senior leaders of the party, including party state unit president Sarat Kumar Pattanayak, Odisha-in-charge Ajoy Kumar, former finance minister Panchanan Kanungo and chairman of Congress campaign committee Bijoy Kumar Patnaik.

On the contentious issue of MSP for farmers, the party has promised to give Rs 3,000 per quintal for paddy. It also pledged a Rs 2,000 pension to farmers and a waiver of agricultural loans.

The party also promised 200 free units of electricity for domestic consumers. To address the issue of unemployment, the party also pledged to provide employment to five lakh youths and pay an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month for three years. It has also pledged to give Rs 2,000 to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities and also head of the families (women) under Gruha Laxmi Yojana.

The party has announced several steps to win them over to its side. It has promised to waive the loan of the self-help groups (SHGs) and pledged to provide LPG cylinders to every family at Rs 500.