The political parties in Kerala seem to have realised the importance of information technology. This is evident from the thrust being given to the IT sector in the manifestoes of all the three leading Fronts in the fray. Both the BJP and the UDF have proposed alternatives to the People’s Plan that the LDF had launched with great fanfare during their last tenure, thereby in effective endorsing the Left model.
United Democratic Front (UDF)
Highlights:
1. Banning of arrack. The LDF decision to set up cooperative toddy shops to be annulled.
2. 250 small hydro-electro projects of 1000 units capacity to be set up.
3. A power highway connecting Thiruvananthapuram with Kasargode to be constructed.
4. Keltron to be overhauled and IT sector to be strengthened.
5. IT education to 10 lakh people. Education at school/college-level to stress more on information technology.
6. A national-level Centre of Excellence to be set up in Kochi
7. Cyber-cities and cyber-villages to be set up.
8. IT application centers in each towns and mini-techno parks at the panchayat level to be set up.
9. IT industries to get tax rebates.
10. Conditional permission to autonomous colleges.
11. All public sector undertakings to be managed by professionals
12. The demand for reservation for Dalit Christians will be implemented without upsetting the present system.
13. Ten per cent reservation for the economically backward among the forward castes.
14. A state vigilance commission to check corruption to be set up.
15. The state police force to be freed of all ministerial duties so that they can concentrate fully on maintaining law & order in the state
16. A zero-based budgeting system to take care of budgetary deficit in implementing various schemes on a priority basis.
17. Amalgamation of the functioning of the public, private and cooperative divisions in the agricultural sector.
18. Kuttanad, Coastal and Hill development authorirties to be set up.
19. A comprehensive tourism policy inviting foreign funds and private participation to be formulated.
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Left Democratic Front (LDF)
Highlights:
1. Employment to three lakh through self-employment schemes in the IT, bio-technology, tourism sectors.
2. New land development scheme to be implemented. A comprehensive scheme to increase rice yield and improve storage facilities.
3. Labour banks to take care of unemployment problem in the agricultural sector. A biotechnology park and institute to be set up. More impetus to flower, fruit and vegetable farming.
4. Land deeds to be distributed to rightful owners. Ports for captive fish farming and fish-landing centers to be set up.
5. More schemes to attract NRI deposits.
6. 1,20,000 small-scale units, 14 KINFRA parks, hi-tech parks in Kochi, a steel stockyard and a herbal park in Idukki to be set up.
7. More facilities to impart IT training to students in colleges and polytechnics. Five lakh youths to be trained in data entry operations. IT diplomas to two lakh youths and graduate degrees to another lakh. Employment to 2,75,000 youths in the IT sector. A bio-informatics and technology mission to be set up.
8. An investment of Rs 5,000 crore in the tourism sector, a pilgrim-tourism scheme and an institute for research and training in tourism activities.
9. Hydro-electric projects to be set up without causing environmental hazards. Computerisation of payment of electricity bills throughout the state.
10. The two National Highways in the state to have four lanes. A parallel highway between Kozhikode and Kannur to be constructed which will ease the traffic between the two cities.
11. A family health record for each family with free health check-ups.
12. Agricultural labourer's pension and other pensions to be increased. Medicines to be made available at discounts to those above 65 years.
13. Electricity and water to all Dalit colonies in the state. 50 cent land to all scheduled caste families with farming expenses to be borne by the government for one year.
14. Employment to three lakh women by way of Kutumbashree Neighbourhood Scheme. Jagrata Samitis at panchayat level to create awareness about atrocities against women.
15. Self-employment schemes for ex-servicemen.
16. Candidates belonging to forward castes to become eligible in the absence of claimants from the class for whom a reservation has been made.
17. Law to ensure houses, sanitation facilities, electricity and right to information to all.
18. Expansion of the People’s Plan. Schemes to protect and develop public sector units and traditional businesses.
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Highlights:
1. All arrears of poor farmers to be written off
2. A commission to study and find solutions to the problems related to the agricultural sector to be set up.
3. A comprehensive agricultural policy to be formulated
4. An NRI fund to restructure and develop higher education to be formed.
5. A state-level bank to help students and for other academic activities to be set up.
6. Medical-engineering (professional) colleges to be privatised.
7. An independent portfolio in the ministry for services to be set up.
8. Speedy implementation of the 'Kumarakom Package' promised by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
