Karnataka panels on poll promise a waste of funds: Oppn

The opposition party said that these appointments were made to give a sense of power to Congress members and leaders

Bengaluru

Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashok said the Congress government has created posts in poll guarantee committees to appease party leaders and workers. (ANI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised objections to the Karnataka Congress government’s decision to appoint committees of party workers to oversee the implementation of the poll guarantees, saying that the move will add a financial burden of ₹16 crore to the state exchequer due to the promised facilities and remuneration for the committee members.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah announced on Wednesday that committees would be formed at the state, district, and constituency levels to monitor the fulfilment of the five guarantees pledged by the Congress during the 2023 assembly polls.

The BJP criticised the decision, alleging that it is an attempt to appease Congress leaders and workers, wasting government funds in the process. The opposition party said that these appointments were made to give a sense of power to Congress members and leaders.

“To appease Congress leaders and workers, to give them a sense of power, government’s money is being wasted. It is condemnable. The elections are getting closer. To keep them (Congress leaders) in good faith before the polls, the government has created these posts by giving them cabinet posts,” said Leader of Opposition R Ashok.

He compared this practice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s introduction of schemes during his tenure, but no system in place where leaders were given cabinet posts to oversee these schemes. “Each cabinet minister will have 15-20 people working under them. Why are they used for these works? All the money they are spending on them could have been used to help farmers… This practice of appointing Congress workers in these posts is not a good step,” he added,

While announcing the scheme Siddaramaiah had said that those heading the panels would receive an honorarium. He, along with Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and other ministers, decided to establish committees for guarantee implementation at the state, district, and constituency levels.

Each district-level committee is expected to have 21 members and a vice president, with the president receiving an honorarium of ₹50,000. The constituency-level committee will consist of a chairperson, a vice president, and 11 members. While the honorarium for the constituency-level chairperson is yet to be decided, the members will receive a sitting fee. Siddaramaiah said that these committees would commence operations within a week after their formation.

Following their assumption of power, the Congress government in Karnataka had initiated the implementation of promised welfare schemes, including subsidised electricity, ₹2,000 for women, free bus travel for women, and 10 kg of free rice.