Chennai: The DMK manifesto, released here this morning by party president M K Stalin at party headquarters Kalaignar Arangam, touched upon several key issues that according to it, affect the State.
The manifesto started off by charging the BJP government at the centre and the AIADMK government in Tamilnadu with weakening the State economically.
The first promise in the manifesto is to make Tamil a third administrative language in all Central government offices that are functioning in the State.
Considering the distress of farmers in the country, said Stalin, a special budget would be drawn up for farmers during the budget presentation at the Centre.
At the national level, the DMK would press for linking of national rivers. It would bring down the price of LPG cylinders and do away with the system of crediting the subsidy in banks.
On compassionate grounds, Stalin said, the party would press for the release of the seven convicts, including Perarivalan, in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The manifesto has turned its sights on students, probably seeing them as a vote bank. Stalin said efforts would be taken to bring education back to the State List in the Constitution.
NEET, the pan-India examination for medical examination, would be scrapped. Educational loans would be waived completely, he said, and added that free rail passes would be provided to students.
After Chennai, Metro rail would be introduced in Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai and Tiruchi, declared the manifesto.
Excavation would resume at the pre-historic site at Keezhadi, near Madurai, and arrangements made to set up a museum there.
The manifesto was prepared under the guidance of former Union minister and senior party leader T R Baalu and included others including A Raja, Kanimozhi and T K S Elangovan.