Shimla, November 5: Restoration of the old pension scheme, 300 units of free power, a Rs 680-crore StartUp fund, one lakh jobs and Rs 1,500 per month for women between 18 to 60 years are among the promises the Congress made in its manifesto for the Himachal Pradesh polls.

The party also said it is contesting the November 12 election under a collective leadership and will decide on the chief ministerial candidate after ascertaining the choice of elected MLAs and discussion with party leadership. The Congress' poll manifesto committee chairman Dhani Ram Shandil alleged the BJP has failed to live up to people's expectations and has not fulfilled its promises made five years ago. With Promise for Free Electricity Upto 300 Units, Congress Releases Its Manifesto for Himachal Pradesh Polls.

"This is not just a poll manifesto but a document prepared for the development and welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh," Shandil said.

The 52-page manifesto -- 'Pratigya Patra - Himachal, Himachaliyat aur Hum' -- was released in the presence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Others present at the event included AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla, former Congress state unit chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and AICC secretaries Tejinder Pal Bittu and Manish Chatrath.

On the implementation of the old pension scheme, Baghel said the Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have written to the Central government to return the people's money with the National Pension System to implement the old pension scheme, but they have refused.

"We will again write to the Central government and seek legal advice to implement the old pension scheme," he said, adding that Rs 17,000 crore of government employees has been "held up" by the Centre.

The Congress also promised a special budget to MLAs to promote religious tourism, one job per family to those affected by power projects and urban MGNREGA jobs to the unemployed. It also promised to register FIRs against illegal miners and set up a Rs 10-crore StartUp fund for each of the 68 assembly constituencies to provide self-employment opportunities to the youth, and a panel to fix prices of agriculture and horticulture produce.

The Congress also promised that the government will buy 10 litres of milk daily from farmers and cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram, as is done in Chhattisgarh. It also promised to set up a Devbhumi Vikas Nidhi, if elected to power. Shukla said the party has prepared this manifesto after consulting all sections of society. It promised to set up an anti-drug enforcement agency headed by a retired judge to curb the drug menace in the state, he said. Congress Releases Party Manifesto for HP Assembly Polls.

All transfers done by the Jairam Thakur government "to harass officials" will be revoked, Shukla said, adding an agriculture and growers committee will be set up with the representation of apple growers which will decide the price of fruits and crops.

For taxi drivers, the Congress promised to provide loans at nominal rates and also increase the period of permit from 10 years to 15 years, he said while reading out the manifesto.

The manifesto announced a pension for journalists, a reduction in fees for gun licenses and also promised that the state's debt burden will be brought down.

The Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor and urging voters not to reelect the BJP in the state in the November 12 assembly elections.