Words’ Worth: Karnataka CM Calls Pre-Cabinet Meet As Implementation of 5 Cong Guarantees Gets Delayed

The crucial Karnataka cabinet meeting on implementation of the Congress’s five pre-poll guarantees has been deferred from Thursday to Friday, giving the opposition another chance to attack the party. But ahead of the cabinet meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues on Wednesday at Vidhana Soudha to discuss the way forward on implementation of the guarantees.

The Ministers who attended the closed-door pre-cabinet meet told News18 that there was a brief discussion on the ways to implement the guarantees. The Chief Minister also asked the Ministers of the respective departments to submit a detailed report they have received from their officials and share the key points about the financial status and modes.

Siddaramaiah also asked the officials of the finance department to take part in the meeting and share the report on how much fund is unspent and the additional funds the government will require to implement the guarantees.

Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma was seen explaining the proposed implementation plan of the guarantees to the CM during the meeting.

During its election campaigning, the Congress promised 200 units of free electricity supply a month to households, Rs 2,000 monthly to every woman head of a household, 10 kg free rice to low-income families, free bus travel for women, and a monthly stipend to unemployed graduates and diploma holders.

COST OF PROMISE

Minister Ramalinga Reddy pledged to fulfill the Congress’s poll guarantee of free bus travel for all women in the state. “Of the five guarantees, one is from our department. Whatever is the expenditure, the government will pay. As we said, the government will ensure free travel for all women. The picture will be clear in the cabinet meeting and the CM will share more details,” said Reddy.

Sources from the four road transport corporations — Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyan Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) – told News18 that the department would have to forgo approximately Rs 4,700 crore annually, if women traveled for free on their buses.

Also, the energy department has estimated the cost of giving 200 units of free power to 21.4 million families at Rs 12,038 crore. The Anna Bhagya scheme would cost more than Rs 10,000 crore monthly to provide 10 kg of free rice to each member of 1.27 crore BPL households. The government will have to spend the least money on Yuva Nidhi (unemployment benefits), which is expected to cost Rs 1,200 crore. The experts, meanwhile, have estimated that the implementation of all five guarantees will cost the exchequer over Rs 52,000 crore.

OPPN ATTACK

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state is attacking the Congress for allegedly betraying the state people by coming up with conditions to implement the guarantees, Home Minister G Parameshwar said, “How can I say that, the cabinet will come up with a decision soon.”

Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the various districts are running a campaign, asking people not to pay electricity bills as the Congress promised free power to all during the assembly polls.

BJP ex-MLA Renukacharya has also warned the Congress government that he would launch a protest soon if the Siddaramaiah-led government fails to implement the five guarantees.