Karnataka Government May Encounter Withdrawal of Welfare Guarantees Like Himachal: BJP
Click to start listening
Bengaluru, Jan 2 (NationPress) In response to the appeal made by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister SS Sukhu for affluent consumers to give up their power subsidies, the BJP indicated on Thursday that the Karnataka government could soon find itself facing a similar predicament regarding its five welfare guarantee initiatives.
The President of Karnataka BJP, B.Y. Vijayendra, remarked that it would not be surprising for the Karnataka administration to encounter the same challenges as those faced by the Himachal Pradesh government.
“If the administration, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is earnest about fulfilling its commitments to the populace and ensuring the execution of the guarantee schemes, it must urgently concentrate on enhancing the state's financial resources to generate revenue and launch development projects that can sustain these guarantee schemes,” Vijayendra emphasized.
“The situation in Himachal Pradesh exemplifies how schemes falter when a government fails to manage its financial resources and secure funding for the unrealistic promises it makes.
“In Karnataka, the Congress government is already grappling with difficulties in administering the five guarantees and is currently incurring substantial losses under the Shakti scheme, which allows women to travel free of charge on RTC buses throughout the state,” Vijayendra asserted.
“The Congress-led government is now intending to offer an interest-free loan of Rs 2,000 crore to all four state-owned transport corporations. To compensate for the losses from the Gruha Jyoti scheme, which provides free electricity up to 200 watts for all households, the rates for commercial and industrial sectors have been raised, inadvertently placing the burden on ordinary citizens,” Vijayendra claimed.
“The government is struggling to allocate funds for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which promises a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 for every woman head of the family in the state. Instead, it is disbursing the pending installments during the election period, using the scheme merely as a means to create a vote bank,” Vijayendra alleged.
The Yuva Nidhi scheme, which guarantees a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 for new graduates and Rs 1,500 for other graduates over two years, remains an unfulfilled aspiration for the youth, Vijayendra noted.
“Farmers, laborers, youth, students, and women, who are the backbone of society and the nation’s workforce, have been overlooked by the Congress administration. By failing to devise any substantial schemes for their future and delivering governance devoid of development, the state's treasury has been depleted,” Vijayendra stated.
This reality is clear to the public, as taxpayers endure the consequences of this failure every day, Vijayendra remarked.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed bureaucrats and other civil servants on Wednesday to ensure that the benefits of the welfare schemes reach all eligible individuals.
“We have instituted five guarantees to promote equality and bolster purchasing power. These guarantees directly place money into the hands of the people, eliminating middlemen. It is now your duty to guarantee that these benefits effectively reach the populace,” he stressed.
