Bengaluru: The Karnataka Minister of State for Urban Development, Satish Jarkiholi, made emotive remarks on Wednesday calling for reconsidering the Congress government’s guarantee schemes. Jarkiholi’s call is to ensure that these schemes do not reach the richer segment of the society, which, according to him, would help the state save around ₹10,000 crore per annum. This proposal has raised heated discussion on the programs declared by the Congress administration as part of its well-coordinated political strategy.
Speaking to the press, Jarkiholi pointedly noted that Siddaramaiah had proposed a fund of ₹52,000 crore for the five guarantee schemes in the Karnataka state budget for the financial year 2024-25 But, he noted that there was growing concern among the beneficiaries receiving the benefits of the five guarantee schemes. Earlier, Siddaramaiah had focused on the fact that the above schemes aim to provide a cash transfer of about ₹ 50000 to ₹ 55000 per family per year.
Jarkiholi himself said such guarantees should be for the poor and not the richest, a view shared by other critics and the opposition outside the party, too. “I am not against stopping these schemes and programmes totally,” Jarkiholi clarified. “What has been under discussion is how they can the same get to the targeted beneficiaries – the economically weaker sections. ”
The five guarantees under consideration are: ‘Shakti,’ Free travel facility for women in non-luxury government buses, ‘Gruha Jyoti,’ free electricity of 200 units; ‘Yuva Nidhi,’ ₹15000 to unemployed graduates and diploma hold, BPL families are getting free of cost 10 kg food grains per family member under ‘Anna Bhagya.’
The proposal was seconded by the Minister of Large and Medium Industries M B Patil, who concurred with the provisions, noting that the guarantees should only reach BPL families since 82% of those in the state are regarded as such. He applauded the need for an assessment program but stated further that anything related to a change must be a decided process.
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