On Deve Gowda’s turf, CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DKS unite to flaunt Rs 1 lakh-cr guarantee push
Bengaluru: Amid the leadership tussle, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar shared stage and highlighted Rs 1.08 lakh crore spending on five guarantee schemes till date and put up a united front in Hassan, the native and home turf of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
Both leaders made the point while addressing the huge gathering after distributing benefits to beneficiaries of various departments and launching multiple development works at the government services dedication convention organised on Saturday in Hassan by the District Administration and the Hassan Zilla Panchayat.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that within one year of coming to power, the Congress-led government has successfully implemented all the guarantee schemes, and that in the history of Karnataka, only the Congress government has fulfilled its promises as stated.
He said that the Shakti scheme is helping women save money. Some people criticise it as a waste, but it is the people who must respond to such criticism. He added that spending more than one lakh crore rupees on the guarantees is aimed at bringing greater equality.
Recalling Baba Saheb Ambedkar, he said society must eliminate casteism and class hierarchies. He stated that the government stands firmly with Dalits, farmers, women and workers.
He noted that many development works have been carried out in Hassan district and that the promises made during the elections have been implemented. The projects inaugurated and launched today are beneficial to the public, he said, adding that special attention will continue to be given to Hassan district in the future.
CM Siddaramaiah said the Constitution mandates the creation of an equal society, the eradication of caste and class, and the provision of equal opportunities and rights to all. “If this does not happen, the country’s independence will not be truly meaningful. Political freedom alone is not enough,” he said.
That is why, when the government designed the five guarantee schemes, they were structured to reach people of all castes and religions. Even after 79 years of independence, he said, freedom will not be meaningful if everyone does not come into the mainstream. Even after 75 years of the Constitution coming into force, equality has not been achieved. The rich remain rich and the poor remain poor. Because of the caste system, equality has not been realised.
Keeping this in mind, our government had earlier implemented the Bhagya schemes and has now implemented the guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah said that today foundation stones were laid and inaugurations were carried out for development works worth about Rs 298 crore. He added that the government has a clear understanding of the political landscape of Hassan district and the issues faced here, and has been addressing these issues appropriately.
The Congress party had made 492 promises before the elections, and in line with that, the government has fulfilled 242 promises in the two-and-a-half years since coming to power. During the Congress government’s terms from 2013 to 2018 and again from 2023 till now, sincere efforts have been made to fulfil all assurances given. Of the 162 promises made in 2013–2018, 158 were fulfilled, CM Siddaramaiah stated.
After returning to power in May 2023, the government immediately moved to implement the guarantee schemes. As a result of these efforts, the Shakti scheme was launched in June, and so far, more than 600 crore women passengers have availed free bus travel under it, he said.
Addressing the gathering Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said, “God does not give both a boon and a curse. He only gives an opportunity. With the opportunity we have received, we have formulated many schemes and programmes to win the hearts of the people. When you were facing financial hardship due to rising prices, we introduced free bus travel, 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 per month to the accounts of poor women, 10 kg of rice, and unemployment allowance for jobless youth. We are implementing these schemes without any discrimination.”
“Our government has put Rs 1 lakh crore directly into the people’s pockets through the guarantee schemes. The government is spending Rs 20,000 crore on the free electricity provided for farmers’ pump sets. During Indira Gandhi’s era, we had implemented several schemes such as the pension scheme, land to the tiller, and regularisation of forest land,” he said.
“My party and the Chief Minister have given me the responsibility of the Irrigation Department. Earlier, Hassan’s Deputy Commissioner and SP were both women officers. I must congratulate them. It is because of their cooperation that water from Ettinahole has reached here today. I cannot forget their contribution,” he said, praising them.
