Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, TOI readers say political parties must bring down prices of essential commodities and fuel. Citizens also want affordable housing, healthcare, education and more employment opportunities
Introduce people-centric policies
—Govind Kumar
Political parties should promise clean and corruptionfree governance. They should mention in their manifesto that they will bring in and implement peoplecentric welfare policies. They should not lure citizens with freebies during elections. They should take up developmental projects and ensure the standard of living of all citizens. All parties should ensure that state resources are used for the welfare of society, but not for the benefit of politicians.
Bring down fuel prices
—AV Narasimha Rao
First and foremost, the political parties should promise to bring down prices of LPG, petrol, and diesel to Rs 500, Rs 75, and Rs 65 respectively. Poor women, who lost their husbands, should be given monthly pensions. School children belonging to BPL families should be provided free and quality education up to class 10. Fees in private schools should be regulated to provide relief to parents. Poor should be provided with 2BHK houses and medical insurance. They should also take stringent action against corrupt officials.
Protect lakes
—Ramana Prasad
Political parties should work towards protecting the environment. The focus should be more on preserving water. There is a need to make rainwater harvesting mandatory. Lakes and trees should be protected. GO 111 should be brought back to save Himayatsagar and Osmansagar lakes. The parties should decongest the city as traffic jams have become a major headache.
Strengthen MSME
—Vimalesh Gupta
The MSME sector is the backbone of a robust economy. Micro and Small Industries should be allowed to work with self-certification without any bureaucratic hurdles. This will increase employment and also revenue for both state and central govt. Although single window systems like TS-Ipass of the state govt should be in place in most cases the budding and also existing entrepreneurs have to run from pillar to post to get permissions.
Make healthcare affordable
—Brig Jagjit Singh Ahuja
Despite having all the resources needed to become a developed country, we are still a developing country even after 77 years of independence. To change this and become a developed country, we need a well-laid infrastructure. Affordable medical and educational facilities should be provided to all citizens. There is also a need to bring accountability and transparency in the governing system so that the poor do not suffer.
Improve infrastructure
—Philip Joshua
There is a need to bring in social security schemes for all, especially senior citizens. Irrespective of any political affiliation, policies should be pro-India and should have continuity. Free and quality education in the English medium should be provided to all children up to class 12. Politicians should improve infrastructure-roads, electricity, and public transportation. We need to have quality irrigation for agriculture development and food security.
Keep prices in check
—Parimala G Tadas
Development of the nation and making India atma nirbhar should be the main agenda of political parties. Controlling inflation on essential food commodities, bringing down the fuel prices, including LPG prices, creating more employment opportunities for the youth, and filling up of all govt job vacancies, should be in the manifestos of political parties. The other issues that need to be addressed include affordable housing, healthcare, and education for all and the upliftment of the poor through various schemes. They should desist from announcing freebies.
Promote green energy
—Satyanarayana BS
Political parties should ensure that welfare programmes and development projects are taken up for the benefit of all, but not for a segment of people. The education and healthcare needs of the citizens should be addressed. Further, they should take up projects to boost industrial growth. Industries working in the renewable and green energy sector should be encouraged by providing subsidies and other support. They should also concentrate on industrial growth and employment generation.
Provide employment
—ARR Datta
The foremost thing that needs to be in the manifestos of political parties is job creation. This can only happen by taking up huge infra projects like highways. Another issue that is bothering the country right now is water scarcity. To preserve water, rainwater harvesting pits should be made mandatory for residences having more than 100 sq yds. Gated communities should have big pits for each acre. All senior citizens should be provided with pensions as their savings are dwindling and are not sufficient to meet high inflation. Addressing pollution should also be a priority.
Decongest roads
—Nilankan Dey
Affordable healthcare should be in the manifestos of all political parties. There is also a need to improve education infrastructure, especially in rural areas. The parties should also improve the public transport system and MMTS service to decongest roads and plant more trees and green areas. There is also a need to focus on skill development and creating job opportunities for the youth.
Decentralise power
—M S Ravi Shankar
For the country to strive, decentralisation of power is important. Health, Education, religious places, transport, and forestry, among others, should be under local corporations or municipalities and there should not be any political intervention in their functioning. Water bodies should be protected, and no one should be allowed to cut down trees in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the state. Encroachments, especially those near lakes should be immediately removed, and all lakes should be restored.
Ensure women’s safety
—Dr Avlokita Sharma
As one of the largest democracies in the world, India has great potential but sadly the political leaders are focused more on trivial issues rather than the actual interest of people. With more and more young women joining the workforce, I feel women’s safety should be given utmost importance in society by imposing stringent punishments. There is also a need to provide higher education at an affordable cost for unreserved category students as well. A new law should also be brought in place to punish the miscreants who damage public property during protests and processions. It is also important to bring in more people under tax laws as very few are paying income tax right now as taxes are needed for infrastructure development.
Strengthen cyber laws
—Charan Kumar
In this digital world, there is a need to strengthen cyber laws as harassment on social media, online bank frauds, and multilevel marketing schemes, among others have become a cause of concern. Political parties should look into this and ensure that victims of cybercrime are provided with the required support and ensure that they get justice. Stringent action should be initiated against those indulging in cybercrime or related fraud.
Give pension to 60+
—Dr A M Dayal
Controlling inflation should be in the manifestos of political parties. While the govt provides free ration to the poor, it is those from the middle class who are suffering because of inflation. Another problem that is bothering the middle class is the increasing cost of healthcare and education. Unless the government provides free and quality education to all, our economy will not improve. The same goes with healthcare as well. There is also a need to strengthen public transportation, especially last-mile connectivity, and provide a minimum pension of Rs 20, 000 to senior citizens for their survival.
Improve roads, drainage
—Mangalampalli Satya Mohan Singh
It is needless to mention freebies are used to attract voters during elections. The main issues bothering voters are bad roads, poor drainage system, and flooding or water logging in the rainy season. These need to be addressed on a priority basis. Education becoming costlier and going out of the reach of the common man should also be dealt with. Voters, on their part, should not get swayed by false promises or freebies and should cast votes for only those who can address their issues and ensure development.
Provide corruption-free governance
—Srini Jakkam
The topmost priority should be to ensure the safety and security of citizens, strengthen defense capabilities, and effectively counter internal and external threats from neighboring countries. Further, providing corruption-free governance, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and commitment to transparency and accountability will generate trust among the citizens. In addition, promoting communal harmony, protecting the rights of minorities, and advancing social justice initiatives to uplift marginalized communities, addressing poverty, inequality, and social exclusion are critical. Apart from the above, reforms should be brought in to improve farmers’ income.
