India will function according to the Constitution and not on the basis of any religious scriptures, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has said.
He was addressing a gathering during the valedictory function of the Samvidhan Jagruthi Jatha in Wadi town of Chittapur taluk, Kalaburagi district, on Monday.
Mr. Kharge said that the Constitution ensures equal rights to all citizens irrespective of race, religion, caste and gender. “There are 25,000 sub-castes in India. Diverse castes give us diversity in culture, art, traditions, food and our heritage as a whole. We are all different and unique and this is what builds a nation,” he said.
The Congress-led government believes in the ideals of the Buddha, Basava and Ambedkar. Emphasizing that the State government is committed to ensuring the welfare of the people, Mr. Kharge reiterated that the Congress stands for public welfare, equality and democracy.
The main reason behind launching the guarantee schemes in the State is to set right the wrong policies and inefficiency of the BJP-led Central government which, he said, has led to the economic stagnation of the country, particularly the poor section of society.
“Women found it difficult to shoulder the household responsibilities during the pandemic, so the Congress government implemented pro-people guarantee schemes that benefit directly each household in the State. The main objective of the Congress-led State government is to deliver long-term economic stability,” Mr. Kharge added.
He said that the guarantee schemes have benefited 4.60 crore people in the State. In Kalaburagi district, 5.25 lakh women received financial aid of ₹2,000 per month under Gruha Lakshmi, 5.50 lakh families benefited under Gruha Jyothi, 18 lakh people are receiving the benefits of Anna Bhagya Yojana and 65 lakh women are travelling free under the Shakti Yojana every day.
Reiterating his commitment to bringing development to Chittapur, Mr. Kharge said that several development works were inaugurated, while foundation stone was laid for other development works, in all worth ₹415 crore, today. He promised to bring more funds for the overall development of the constituency.
The Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) has earmarked ₹1,000 crore under Kalyana Patha Yojana for taking up road works in rural areas in the region. The board will also allocate ₹1,000 crore in the next year too, he added.
Earlier, Mr. Kharge, Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and Aland MLA and advisor to Chief Minister B.R. Patil paid floral tributes to the statues of cultural leader Basaveshwara and Dr. Ambedkar.
