Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Thursday, 9 July accused the state's Congress government of failing to honour its budget commitment of providing free insulin to children below the age of 18 suffering from Type-1 diabetes, warning that the prolonged delay has placed the lives of more than 7,000 children across Karnataka at serious risk. Ashoka alleged that the scheme, announced several months ago, remains unimplemented due to administrative inaction and a stalled tender process.

What the Free Insulin Scheme Promised

The Karnataka government had announced the free insulin scheme as part of its budget, targeting children under 18 diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes. The programme was intended to relieve families of a significant financial burden, given that insulin costs between ₹2,000 and ₹5,000 per month — an amount that many low-income and middle-class households struggle to sustain.

According to Ashoka, the scheme has not moved beyond the announcement stage. He alleged that the delay stems from the alleged negligence of officials at the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL) and protracted delays in completing the tender process.

Hospitals Running Dry, NGOs Filling the Gap

Ashoka alleged that key government-run hospitals in Bengaluru, including the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and KIDS Hospital, had not received insulin supplies despite treating thousands of registered children. He claimed that some of these facilities had been compelled to rely on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to meet patient demand — a situation he described as a systemic failure of the state administration.

The BJP leader further alleged that many economically weaker families had been forced to reduce their children's insulin doses because they could not afford the full prescribed dosage, directly endangering the health and lives of vulnerable minors.

BJP's Charge: Publicity Over Policy

Addressing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directly, Ashoka alleged that the government had made the announcement primarily for publicity purposes and lacked the administrative will to translate it into action. He questioned whether the Chief Minister exercised effective control over his ministers, officials, and the broader administration.

'The government is spending heavily on self-promotion while poor families are struggling to buy insulin for their children,' Ashoka said, urging Shivakumar to immediately expedite the tender process and begin distribution to eligible children. He warned that any further delay would have severe consequences for thousands of vulnerable families.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme Also Under Fire

Ashoka extended his criticism to the state's mid-day meal programme, alleging that the Congress government had failed to supply rice to students of Classes 9 and 10 even after one-and-a-half months into the new academic year. He claimed that schools had been forced to divert rice allocated for primary school students (Classes 1 to 8) to feed senior students — raising concerns that supplies for younger children could be exhausted if the situation persisted.

Ashoka alleged that despite the Finance Department granting approval and the Principal Secretary of the School Education Department writing to authorities on 15 June, the Commissioner of the Education Department had not taken effective steps to ensure timely procurement and distribution of rice. He noted that officials themselves had reportedly expressed doubts over whether fresh rice stocks would reach high schools before the end of July.

Recalling last year's controversy over the alleged supply of poor-quality tur dal under the same programme, Ashoka accused the government of repeating its failure to ensure adequate and timely food supplies for schoolchildren. He urged the Chief Minister to act immediately to restore normalcy to the mid-day meal scheme.

The Congress government in Karnataka had not issued a formal response to Ashoka's allegations at the time of reporting. With the tender process still reportedly pending, the timeline for insulin distribution to eligible children remains uncertain.