CM to showcase performance of 2 years in power at Hosapete
The government will distribute one lakh title deeds to beneficiaries from undocumented settlements that have recently been designated as revenue villages
As the Congress-led government in Karnataka marks two years in office, Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a large-scale public event in Hosapete, Vijayanagara district, on May 20, which is expected to draw around three lakh attendees.
The gathering will highlight the government’s performance over the last two years, with the distribution of one lakh title deeds to beneficiaries from undocumented settlements that have recently been designated as revenue villages. Various departments will also organise programmes to showcase their initiatives and achievements. “We will try to present our achievements of the last two years to the people,” Siddaramaiah said at a press interaction.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are expected to attend the event, as previously indicated by both Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
The Chief Minister also pushed back against allegations that the state’s guarantee schemes are not reaching the intended beneficiaries. “There is no shortage of funds,” he said, adding, “Last year, I had allocated ₹52,009 crore in the budget for this, and this year, I have allocated ₹50,018 crore.” He emphasised that funds for the government’s guarantee programmes—including Gruha Lakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya, and Yuva Nidhi—are being provided without delay. “Like last year, money has been allocated for guarantees in this year’s budget as well,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also addressed criticism from the BJP over the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, which came into effect on May 15. The Act allows for the creation of up to seven municipal corporations in Bengaluru, and has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition.
Calling Bengaluru “unwieldy” with a population of over 1.5 crore, the Chief Minister said administrative challenges justified the restructuring. “After I first became CM... I formed a committee to create three or more municipal corporations in the city. After returning to power, we (the Congress government) have continued this process,” he said.
He reminded critics that the idea of dividing the municipal corporation was originally proposed by the BJP during Suresh Kumar’s tenure as Urban Development Minister. The Congress government is now continuing that effort, he said, and discussions are underway to determine whether three corporations will be created initially.
On the political front, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that the Congress would win the upcoming Gangavati bypoll, which was necessitated by the disqualification of former MLA G. Janardhana Reddy after a special CBI court in Hyderabad convicted him in the Obulapuram Mining Company illegal mining case. “The candidate will be decided by the Congress party; the winnable candidate will be given the ticket,” the Chief Minister said.
Reddy had formed the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) before the 2023 Assembly elections and won from Gangavati, only to later merge his party with the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
(With PTI inputs)
