Guarantees to continue, assures Shivakumar

NT Correspondent

Chikkamagaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reiterated that all the guarantee schemes would continue as long as the Congress government held power in the state.

He made the comments after inaugurating several developmental works in Chikkamagaluru district.

“The Congress party fights against poverty and not against the poor. No one can remove the guarantee schemes as long as Congress is in power,” Shivakumar said.

“Many of the BJP leaders admit that the guarantee schemes are a boon to the people. Karkala MLA (Sunil Kumar), a former BJP minister lauded the guarantee schemes saying it was making the lives of people better. While some other MLAs like Araga Jnanedra have criticised the scheme,” he added.

The State government has had to repeatedly clarify that the guarantees won’t be discontinued after Congress MLA from Magadi HC Balakrishna back in January said that they might consider halting the schemes if the Grand Old Party performed poorly in the Lok Sabha elections.

Balakrishna had said in a speech in his constituency that if the Congress didn’t bag a good number of seats in the general elections, then it would be interpreted that people had chosen ‘akshate’ over the guarantees.

‘Akshate’ refers to the rice mixed with turmeric and ghee that was distributed by Hindutva ideologues in the lead up to the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.

“The people of Karnataka believe in the guarantee schemes. If the Opposition parties have the courage, let them call upon their party workers to give up the guarantee scheme benefits. We will see how many of their own party men give up the benefits,” he said.

Shivakumar, who is also the Water Resources Minister, promised 1.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmfct) had been earmarked for Chikkamagaluru and Kadur taluks under the Bhadra Irrigation Project, for which Rs 5,300 crore is owed by the Centre.