Officially take stand against guarantee schemes, seek its withdrawal in Assembly: Shivakumar to BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday challenged the opposition BJP to officially take a stand as a party against the five guarantee schemes, and to formally make a statement in the Legislative Assembly asking the government to withdraw them.
He said that if the BJP clarifies its official stand during the ongoing Budget session, the matter can be discussed in detail.
The Deputy CM said this while BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda was speaking during the discussion on the state budget in the Assembly.
Asking the government to revisit the guarantee schemes ('Shakti', 'Gruha Lakshmi', 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Yuva Nidhi' and 'Anna Bhagya'), the MLA urged the government to withdraw these schemes from affluent people and divert the funds toward developmental work.
"You (BJP) members are individually sharing your opinion in the Assembly. You tell your decision to us as a party in the Assembly to revisit or withdraw the guarantee schemes. Let's discuss. Since it's your party's opinion, we cannot say it's wrong right away. Let's discuss. If you do it during this Budget session itself, we will discuss it," Shivakumar said.
Gowda replied to Shivakumar by saying that it was the Congress' decision to announce and implement the guarantee schemes, why drag BJP into it, take a decision as a government.
Reacting to it, Shivakumar said, "After the guarantees announcement was made (following the 2023 assembly polls), Yediyurappa (BJP veteran and former CM) had said that the five schemes should be implemented without any shortcoming, so all the schemes were implemented within six months. We have heard you (BJP) too, while implementing the schemes."
Further claiming that unlike in Karnataka, only ruling party workers benefit in BJP-ruled Assam, he said, "Congress people and supporters don't get any benefits there."
Accepting that the guarantee schemes are not needed for those well off, government officials, and others, he said, "We have taken a decision, various suggestions are coming. As a political party you (BJP) come to a decision. We will discuss that....give it officially."
Revenue Minister Priyank Kharge intervened and said, "Let the BJP as its official party, stand say -- withdraw five guarantee schemes."
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PM Modi embarks on roadshow in Dehradun ahead of key expressway opening
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Dehradun (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Dehradun on Tuesday, with a large crowd lining both sides of the road to greet him.
The prime minister is in the city to inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.
Before the roadshow, he stopped to pray at the Siddhpeeth Maa Datkali Temple near Dehradun on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
He then embarked on a 12-kilometre road trip to the main event venue, Jaswant Ground, in Dehradun.
A large number of people, including school children, gathered to welcome the prime minister and showered flowers on his convoy.
A massive police force was deployed for security during the prime minister's movement.
Modi will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, which will cut the travel time between the two cities to less than half. He will also undertake a review of the wildlife passage on the elevated section of the high-speed expressway in Saharanpur.
The 213-kilometre six-lane access-controlled corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.
The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, according to an official statement.
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