Criteria, frameworks being decided for implementation of guarantees, says Minister Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): With pressure mounting on the Congress government in Karnataka to implement the five 'guarantees' as promised to the people ahead of Assembly polls, State's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said criteria and frameworks are being decided for its implementation.
He said the criterion has to be fixed to implement the guarantees, as tax-payers money is involved.
In view of the implementation of five guarantee schemes, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is today holding a meeting with all the Ministers of his cabinet and senior officials of the concerned departments at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state secretariat and legislature, here.
The decision on implementation of guarantees is likely to be taken at the cabinet meeting on Thursday.
"Every scheme is based on a criterion, it is your (public) money, tax payers money is involved. We will have to put criteria. Tell me which scheme of the central- Modi government is free?" Kharge asked.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "there will be criteria and we will ensure that everyone is benefited. Is it wrong to give priority to BPL (below poverty line), the government is for the poor."
"How to implement Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, YuvaNidhi -- the criterion and framework will be decided by today and tomorrow, there is no need to worry," he added.
The Congress had promised to implement the guarantees' 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.
There is mounting pressure on the new government from opposition parties and various sections of people from across the state, to fulfill its five guarantees as promised ahead of polls.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) have accused the Congress of trying to "cheat" voters after coming to power by trying to attach conditions or criterion to the guarantees for their implementation, which were not mentioned ahead of polls.
Asked how the government will mobilise resources, the Minister said, "we will do it. First of all -- it is because of the central government and the double engine (BJP at both centre and state) government that was there -- our financial situation has worsened."
"Our GST share has not come, there was financial mismanagement during COVID-19, because of this Kannadigas are in debt today, I had raised this issue several times in the Assembly in the past," he said, now that our government has come, the priority will be to give financial stability to the state and its people.
After having accorded in-principal approval for the guarantees in the first cabinet meeting on May 20, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said they would "most likely" be implemented after the next Cabinet meeting. He had also said that initial estimates indicate it would cost the exchequer Rs 50,000 crore annually.
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'Another jumla': Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi over Employment Linked Incentive scheme
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New Delhi (PTI): Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government's 'Employment Linked Incentive' scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said while he creates new slogans everyday, the youth are still waiting for real opportunities, and asked if it was "just another jumla".
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that after the 2024 election, PM Modi announced the "Employment Linked Incentive" scheme with much fanfare, promising to provide employment to our youth.
"It's been nearly a year since announcing the scheme, the government hasn't even defined it, and has returned the Rs 10,000 crores allotted to it. This shows how serious the PM is about unemployment," he alleged without elaborating the claim.
There was no immediate response from the government on it.
Gandhi said jobs can't be created by focusing only on large corporates, promoting cronies over fair-play businesses, prioritising assembly over production, and disregarding India's indigenous skills.
"The way to create crores of jobs is through large-scale investment in MSMEs, fair markets where competition can thrive, support for local production networks and youth equipped with the right skills," he said.
"The PM won't agree with these ideas. But I must ask him directly: Prime Minister ji, you announced ELI with great showmanship - but where has this Rs 10,000 crore scheme disappeared? Have you abandoned our unemployed youth along with your promises?"
"While you create new slogans every day, our youth are still waiting for real opportunities. What is your concrete plan to generate the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?" he said.
Gandhi further asked when will the PM shift his focus from enriching Adani and his "billionaire friends" to ensuring that young people from marginalised communities have equal access to employment.
