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Karnataka CM defends schemes on guarantee, slams govt
The chief minister also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government for its “anti-people” decisions
The Congress -led state government has undertaken the work “left undone” by the central government, said Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday while defending his government’s guarantee schemes and refuting the claims that they are mere “election gimmicks”. The chief minister also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government for its “anti-people” decisions.
“Our state government has undertaken the work left undone by the central government which has abdicated its responsibility. Our guarantee schemes are not just election gimmicks. They are the result of the feedback obtained during the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Siddaramaiah said while presenting the budget.
“These schemes are earnest efforts to create jobs and enhance the purchasing power of the people. These programmes are aimed at creating a just and fair society by redistribution of wealth,” he said during the session.
Siddaramaiah unveiled a significant allocation of ₹1,20,373 crore for welfare programmes, with a striking 43% ( ₹52,000 crore) earmarked for five key schemes – Shakti, Gruhajyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Yuvanidhi, and Annabhagya. With large allocations to these flagship schemes, the government has positioned these guarantees as their trump card for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
“Through the five guarantee schemes of Shakti, Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Yuvanidhi and Annabhagya, we are putting ₹52,000 crore in the hands of crores of people during 2024-25. An average of ₹50,000 to ₹55,000 is transferred to each family every year through these guarantee schemes,” the CM said.
The breakdown of this allocation includes ₹9,657 crore for Gruha Jyothi (subsidised electricity), ₹8,079 crore for Anna Bhagya (free rice distribution), ₹5,015 crore for Shakti (free bus travel), ₹650 crore for Yuva Nidhi (stipend for graduates), and ₹28,608 crore for Gruha Lakshmi (stipend for women).
“Our opponents are making all the efforts to lower our morale by negative propaganda that the government has gone bankrupt and the economy has collapsed in the state due to guarantees, which they describe as freebies or Bitti (freebies) Bhagyas. Those who failed to respond to the distress call of the people are now criticising us for covering their faults…. I need not argue with these critics,” he said.
Reacting to the CM’s remarks, BJP MLA CN Ashwath Narayan said: “They are merely orchestrating political theatrics, shamelessly squandering taxpayer funds without delivering effectively.”
“The benefits are not reaching the people of Karnataka as they should,” he alleged.
“We insist on the fulfilment of all five guarantees without hesitation. Whatever promises the Congress made in their manifesto must be upheld. We wholeheartedly support these guarantees. However, compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances, the promises made by Congress pale in comparison,” he added.
