Karnataka Government extends Shakthi Scheme smart card distribution period by 6 months
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has announced a six-month extension for the distribution of smart cards under the Shakthi scheme, as informed by Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, and Legislation H.K Patil during a press conference held on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Siddharamaih at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, he informed that, “Initially, the government had set a three-month timeline for distributing smart cards under the Shakthi scheme. However, in the recent cabinet meeting, it was decided to prolong this period by an additional six months.”
He further stated that beneficiaries will be required to pay a service charge of Rs 14.16 fixed for each smart card issued.
“The cabinet has approved for the procurement of 250 new buses into the KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crores, 375 new buses to the North Western Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore, 250 buses to the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crores and procuring 320 AC electric buses for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation at a estimated cost of Rs 150 crores,” he added.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
