Chandigarh, Feb 23 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday made a slew of promises to woo urban voters in Haryana as the party released its manifesto for the upcoming urban local body elections.

Party leaders appealed to the electorate for a full majority for the Congress.

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Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the party's state chief Udai Bhan and former minister Ajay Singh Yadav, among others, were present at the manifesto release event in Gurugram.

Elections for four municipal councils, 21 municipal committees and seven municipal corporations -- Faridabad, Gurugram, Manesar, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak and Yamunanagar -- will be held on March 2.

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Polling for the Panipat Municipal Corporation will take place on March 9.

Hooda said the state's BJP government could not provide basic facilities despite holding office for 10 years.

He appealed to the people to elect mayors and the maximum number of councillors from the Congress.

Hooda said the people of Gurugram did not get basic facilities that the BJP had promised when it took office in the state.

The BJP also held power in the municipal corporation but the picture did not change, he alleged.

"Through its manifesto, the Congress promises to change the picture and fate of Gurugram. Every problem will be solved in a stipulated time, every facility provided at world class level," Hooda said.

The Congress' Gurugram mayoral candidate Seema Pahuja said priority would be accorded to finding a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem, early start of construction work of the civil hospital and early completion of the Mata Shitala temple.

A platform will be created for all types of complaints and these will be sent to the department concerned for resolution, she added.

Congress state chief Bhan said the manifesto was prepared after closely studying the people's problems.

Door-to-door garbage collection will be improved. Old drains will be cleaned and cemented to improve drainage, the Congress leaders said.

The Congress is contesting municipal corporation ward and municipal council president elections on the party symbol, taking on the BJP.

The grand old party, which has been out of power in Haryana for more than 10 years, is looking to turn around its electoral fortunes in the civic polls.

The Congress manifesto promises to make cities "green and clean".

Green belts and parks will be beautified. All roundabouts and intersections of cities will be beautified and roads improved by making them pothole-free.

CCTV cameras will be installed in cities, markets and squares. Where CCTV cameras are already available, the facility will be improved.

"Cities will be given the permanent gift of cleanliness. Places will be designated for garbage disposal and the process of door-to-door garbage collection will be improved," the Congress said in the manifesto.

Arrangements for solid waste management will be made.

The number of public toilets, especially for women, will be increased and their maintenance process improved.

Work will be done in a planned manner to improve traffic.

The problem of stray animals in urban areas has assumed a worrying proportion, according to the manifesto, which promises a humane solution.

It also promises to correct "anomalies" in property IDs and simplify house tax.

A transparent policy will be made for regularisation or rehabilitation of people living in slums, according to the manifesto.

Street vending zones will be established to accommodate existing street vendors. Open gyms will be set up in parks and other public places for women and youngsters.

Budgetary allocation will be made for setting up libraries or reading rooms in all municipal wards. Efforts will be made to set up a modern library (with WiFi facility) in every ward.

The manifesto also promises creches in all wards to cater to the needs of working women and sanitation workers.

Grounds and sites will be provided for Dussehra, Chhath Puja and other cultural programmes. New night shelters will be built in the cities and the ones beautified and provided with proper facilities.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)