Free TVs in 06,mixies this time

Karunanidhis poll manifesto promises goodies for voters.

DMK president and Chief Minister K Karunanidhi,who famously rode to power in the 2006 election also due to the offer to provide free colour TVs,has this time promised to shower largesse on homemakers if his party returns to power. Among other offers are free mixies or grinders for women and 35 kg rice free every month for the poor.

The party manifesto for the coming Assembly polls also offers free laptops for Dalit,BC and MBC students of Government colleges.

The manifesto that Karunanidhi released here on Saturday also promises special attention on fishermen,a numerically-strong votebank who have been at the receiving end for a while. They have been offered a special insurance scheme if their livelihood was affected by natural calamities,and diesel and kerosene on subsidy.

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If voted back to power,his party would urge the Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu,the islet on the maritime border that India ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974,which is now in news due to a large number of fatalities and casualties due to alleged aggression by Lankan navy against fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

Karunanidhi also assured that big ticket offers like free TVs and rice for Re 1 per kg for the poor would continue if the DMK was voted back to power.

The manifesto promises free bus rides for senior citizens; doubling of loan for women SHGs to Rs 4 lakh; attention on geriatric care where doctors would undertake house calls to treat bed-ridden patients; a university in every district; increased financial assistance for pregnant women; and metro rail service for major cities.

The focus,said the CM,was to promise what could be fulfilled,pointing out that his regime had fulfilled what it had promised in 2006.