“The five guarantee schemes are aimed at improving the economic conditions of the poor and lower middle classes. The targeted families should utilise the benefits judiciously,” Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has said.
He was addressing a rally of beneficiaries of the schemes at the Government Sardars High School Grounds in Belagavi on Monday.
“Each scheme saves some money for each family. I only advise the beneficiaries to utilise the benefits on the education of children or making small savings and in other positive ways,” he said. He also asked the beneficiaries to speak about these schemes to others.
He said that the State government is organising conferences of the guarantee scheme beneficiaries in the district and taluk levels to spread awareness. The State government is spending over ₹60,000 crore every year, towards the welfare of the poor.
This does not mean infrastructure projects like roads, schools and hospitals have stopped. However, they will get a boost in the coming years. The Public Works Department has taken repair of roads and laying of new roads in the State, he said. The State government is also focusing on projects like filling lakes with river water, building multi-speciality hospitals and others, he said.
He criticised the BJP for “creating trouble across the State in the name of hoisting saffron flags”.
“The youth should desist from such activities. Those leaders who are handing over flags to young people are sending their own children to higher studies in Europe and the U.S. They want the poor youth to work for the party so that they win and enjoy power,” he said.
Minister for Women and Child Development Lakshmi Hebbalkar said that there is no truth in allegations that the guarantee schemes will empty the Exchequer. “Some of those who have made such allegations are also enjoying the benefits of the schemes,” she added.
She said that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has helped over a crore families in the State to tide over difficult times. “In Belagavi alone, we are distributing ₹212 crore per month, which is no small amount,” she said.
She described Chief Minister Siddharamaiah as “Bhagya Yojana Sardara” who has implemented the five guarantee schemes.
“We have proved that we are pro-poor by keeping promises made before polls. These will not be stopped anytime in future,” she said.
“We have built roads, bridges and temples unlike other parties that focus only on some projects,” she said.
MLA Asif (Raju) Seth said that the State government has given people’s tax money back to the people through the five guarantees of Anna Bhagya, Shakti, Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyoti and Yuva Nidhi.
“Many were skeptical about the implementation of the guarantees and called it lies and waste of money. But we have successfully returned people’s money to them,” he said.
“They will continue for the next five years. There should be no doubt about this,” he added.
MLC Channaraj Hattiholi said that the BJP has taken a leaf out of the Karnataka Congress and is announcing guarantee schemes before the Lok Sabha polls.
“This is a clear victory for the Karnataka government,” he said. “The successful implementation of the guarantees is only because of the leadership of Mr. Siddaramaiah,” he said.
One of the representatives of the State government in Delhi Prakash Hukkeri said that not even a single complaint has been received from the general public about the schemes. “Officials tell me that Belagavi district is in the first place in the implementation of the schemes,” he said.
Some beneficiaries gave feedback about the schemes. Gruha Lakshmi beneficiary Geetha Chikkaladinni praised the government for making the scheme universal without discriminating between caste, class or religion.
She said that she is saving between ₹5,000 and ₹6,000 every month due to the schemes.
The Minister released some posters of the schemes and distributed cheques.
MLAs Vishwas Vaidya, Babasaheb Patil, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil, Police Commissioner S.N. Siddaramappa, Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar Guled, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Rahul Shinde, Deputy Director of Kannada and Culture Vidyavathy Bhajantri and others were present.
