Karnataka BJP Questions Timeliness of Guarantee Schemes
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Synopsis
Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Karnataka's Leader of Opposition, demands clarity on the Rs 52,009 crore allocated for guarantee schemes, questioning its misappropriation and lack of timely benefits to the public. He criticizes the Congress government's handling of funds, emphasizing the failure to deliver promised assistance.
Key Takeaways
- Rs 52,009 crore allocated for guarantee schemes is questioned.
- Concerns raised over misappropriation of funds.
- Delay in distribution of benefits to the public.
- Government accused of failure in implementing promises.
- Call for accountability from the Chief Minister.
Bengaluru, Feb 17 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, on Monday, called on the Congress government to explain where the Rs 52,009 crore allocated in the state budget for guarantee schemes is being spent and who is misappropriating these funds.
While addressing the media at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan in Bengaluru, he raised concerns about the delay in the guarantee schemes reaching the public. He mentioned that there is an internal debate within the Congress party and its government regarding the implementation of these guarantees, leading to skepticism among the populace.
He accused the Congress government of misusing Rs 25,000 crore intended for Dalits and pointed out that despite the allocation of Rs 52,000 crore in the budget, the distribution of rice has been halted for the past six months under the free rice scheme, the Rs 2,000 financial aid for women heads under the Gruha Laxmi scheme has ceased, and the Yuva Nidhi scheme has proven ineffective, providing no benefits to anyone.
“Where has the money gone? Why isn’t it reaching the people on time?” he demanded.
“If your own leaders don’t support the guarantees you provide, what kind of guarantee is this?” questioned Narayanaswamy.
He noted that even leaders within Congress are expressing concerns about the execution of these schemes.
“You assert that Rs 52,000 crore has been allocated for guarantees. Based on estimates, rice should have been distributed to the beneficiaries, yet that is not occurring. So, where is the leakage happening?” he asked.
“People haven’t received these benefits for the past six months. Doesn’t that indicate that your guarantees themselves lack any assurance?” he remarked with sarcasm.
“You have deceived and betrayed the public regarding the guarantees you pledged. This is the reason for the failure in implementing these schemes,” he asserted.
The BJP leader further maintained that if the government has procured rice, it should be distributed to the people. If not, they should at least provide a satisfactory explanation. However, instead of accountability, the government resorts to flimsy excuses such as ‘server down’ or ‘lorry tyre puncture.’
“The Chief Minister must investigate this issue and ensure that the backlog of guarantee benefits from the past six months is delivered to the public,” he insisted.
“Now, citizens are starting to discern whether the budget presented by the government was genuine or misleading. In the last budget, only 41-45 percent of the funds were utilized, demonstrating that it was a poorly conceived budget that failed to benefit the public,” he criticized.
“The people of Delhi have taught Congress a valuable lesson through their defeat, and I express my gratitude for that,” he stated.
He accused Congress of disseminating false propaganda that the BJP and RSS compel Dalits to wear shorts (chaddis) on their heads.
He acknowledged that during previous protests, he had symbolically sent a pair of shorts to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to demonstrate against Congress.
“If you analyze the results of the Delhi elections, it appears that apart from the 'chaddi' I sent them, Congress has nothing left,” he mocked.
