‘Pyari Didi’ scheme in Delhi on the lines of Gruhalakshmi: DCM DK Shivakumar

New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday announced Congress party’s first guarantee scheme ‘Pyari Didi’, on the lines of Gruhalakshmi scheme, in the run up to the Delhi assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference, he said, “The Congress party would provide Rs 2,500 per month for women if it comes to power in New Delhi. The scheme ‘Pyari Didi’ is on the same lines as Karnataka’s Gruhalakshmi scheme.”

“We will implement Pyari Didi guarantee scheme on the very first day of assuming office. There are more guarantees and our leaders in Delhi will talk about them in the days to come. I am promising this guarantee as the KPCC President and the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. We announced our first guarantee scheme in Karnataka – Gruhajyothi - from the Gandhi well in Belagavi. Later, Priyanka Gandhi announced Gruhalakshmi scheme and told us that this should not be just a promise but a guarantee. Hence, Siddaramaiah and I signed a guarantee cheque. And, as promised, all the schemes were approved in the first Cabinet meeting itself,” he said.

“All the guarantee schemes were rolled out in the first three months of assuming office. In Karnataka, women are travelling in government buses for free, the poor are getting 10 kg food grains, unemployed youth are getting unemployment allowance, up to 200 units of electricity is free for households, women are getting Rs 2,000 every month,” he added.

“The Karnataka government has ear-marked Rs 56,000 crores for the five guarantee schemes. As many as 1.22 crore women are getting Rs 2,000 per month under Gruhalakshmi. The guarantee schemes have brought about a significant socio-economic change in poor and middle-class family. Each family is saving about Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 per month because of guarantee schemes. Our government has extended these guarantee schemes in line with Mahatma Gandhi’s message of protecting the interest of all sections of the society,” he explained. A video of the success stories of guarantee scheme beneficiaries in Karnataka was also played at the press conference.

Guarantee schemes being copied

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised Congress party’s guarantee schemes saying it would push the state to bankruptcy. But he himself has copied our guarantee schemes and announced similar schemes in many states. The Congress party has rolled out these guarantee schemes not for political gains but to bail people out from price rise and inflation,” he said.

“The Modi government had said that it would double the income of our farmers but instead it has doubled the prices for them. The promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh for each Jan Dhan account hasn’t been fulfilled. BJP never kept its word and now it is copying our guarantee schemes,” he said.

“During Manmohan Singh’s tenure, Congress government introduced Right to Food security, Right to Education, Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information. The Congress party has governed the country for a long time and we are confident that we will come back to power in Delhi. I appeal to the votes of Delhi to give us a chance to make a difference to their lives. We have always kept our promises,” he appealed.

Asked about worsening finances of Karnataka due to the guarantee schemes, he said, “We have ear-marked Rs 56,000 crore for the guarantee schemes in a budget of Rs 3.70 lakh crore. Karnataka is one of the highest tax contributors in the country and we are financially very stable.”

When pointed out to the allegation that developmental works have suffered due to guarantee schemes, he said, “Isn’t economic empowerment of people development? The people and traders are very happy, isn’t that development? If individuals become stronger, families become strong and if families become strong, state becomes strong.”

Asked about hike in bus fares, he said, “There are parameters for hiking bus fares. The bus transport organisations in the state run on their own strength.”