Guarantee schemes to continue, asserts Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: As promised in the election, the government is working to bring financial security to the lives of all the people of the country by implementing five guarantee schemes. It is a matter of pride that the state of Karnataka is realizing the concept of Universal Basic Income on the largest scale to provide financial assistance to families in need. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that these projects will continue.

CM Siddaramaiah hoisted the national flag in the 78th Independence Day program organized in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore City District Administration at the Field Marshal Manekshah Parade Ground and received a guard of honour.

‘We are going to answer those who are predicting that the state will be bankrupt due to Gruhalakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyoti, Annabhagya and Yuvanidhi schemes by showing economic progress in the state. The government is ready to carry out new innovations and take measures that will help the beneficiaries even more’, he said.

‘Women have got Rs 270 crore free travel facility under Shakti Yojana. Women have saved Rs 6541 crore in travel expenses. Due to non-cooperation of the Centre to provide additional rice under Anna Bhagya Yojana, cash is being transferred instead of rice. Our government’s public welfare schemes are not limited to five guarantees, Rs 13,027 crore has been spent under various schemes to provide social security to the weaker sections.’

After our government came to power, the state has faced a completely different situation in the two monsoon seasons. Last year the state was hit by severe drought, this time it has been hit by heavy rains. Even though the central government gave the drought relief amount late, precautions were taken so that the people in the state do not suffer much due to drought. In the current line, the flood affected districts have been visited.

It has been suggested to provide quick compensation for the loss of life, death of cattle and house damage. Action has been taken to distribute houses with compensation of Rs. 1.2 lakh to those who have lost their houses. He said that the government has taken nature’s warning seriously that it is essential to strike a balance between development and environment.

Over 5000 crore rupees is being carried out by the Kalyan Karnataka Development Board in the current year to eliminate the regional imbalance. The government is giving priority to the all-round development of the state by giving special priority to social justice and economic equality, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.

This is the day when our country got freedom from two centuries of brutal slavery by the British. There is no other movement in history that was more honest and non-violent than the freedom struggle in our country. It has been a hundred years since the historic Belgaum session of the Indian National Congress in 1924. He said that the government is organizing memorable and meaningful programmes on the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of the Sabha.

He said, ‘We are prioritizing the filling of vacant positions across various state Government departments, with the approval to recruit 15,428 posts. The recruitment process for 11,512 posts, including 670 that were left unfilled during the previous Government’s tenure, is currently in various stages of progress.’

‘Good infrastructure and transportation connectivity are accelerators for economic growth. In this regard, 1,917 km of state highways, 2,502 km of district main roads, and 150 bridges will be constructed in the current year. For the development of rural roads, a total of 803.32 km of roads will be developed at a cost of Rs. 463.11 crores under PMGSY, Namma Grama Namma Raste, and Special Development Programme. In addition, steps have been taken to develop a total of 8,260 KM of roads at a cost of Rs. 6,190 crores under the Pragati Path and Kalyana Path schemes.’

‘The “Brand Bengaluru” concept is being implemented with the aim to make Bengaluru a world class city. It is intended to take up long term infrastructure development plans for the city through innovative Integrated Financial model with at least Rs. 48,686 crore. Our government has made a strong resolve to implement Peripheral Ring Road project in an effort to reduce traffic congestion. To expedite the implementation of the state’s irrigation projects, a larger budget allocation has been made this time’, the CM said.

Challenges in Centre-State Relations

The Constitution clearly outlines the relationship between the Centre and the States within our federal system. While the states are responsible for implementing welfare programs, it is the Centre’s duty to provide the necessary resources to support these efforts.

In recent years, the central Government has been deviating from this principle, leading to discrimination in the allocation of funds to states. By ignoring constitutional principles, there is a tendency to delay the financial share due to the states, which is not in the interest of the people. Unfortunately, states are compelled to seek legal recourse to obtain their rightful share from the Centre.

The electorate, with their political acumen, has made it clear in the last Lok Sabha elections that democracy cannot be a puppet in anyone’s hands. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, Bangalore City Police Commissioner B Dayanand, Bangalore City District Collector KA Dayanand were on the stage.

Enthralling cultural programmes

The program included a folk art performance presented by 400 students in collaboration with the National Service Scheme and Youth Empowerment and Sports Department on five ambitious guarantee schemes of the government. The Chief Minister invited the family members who donated organs on to the stage and gave a letter of appreciation.