 "Guarantee schemes to stay, says Siddaramaiah, highlights issues with Centre | India News")
Referring to the five guarantee schemes – Gruha Lakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya and Yuva Nidhi, he said each beneficiary family receives direct and indirect benefits amounting to an average of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month (Photo: PTI)
Amid pressure from within the ruling Congress to do a “rethink” on the ambitious five guarantees schemes, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted that it will continue and highlighted the “Karnataka model” of development with focus on social justice and economic equality, thereby contributing to nation-building.
Referring to the five guarantee schemes – Gruha Lakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya and Yuva Nidhi, he said each beneficiary family receives direct and indirect benefits amounting to an average of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.
Siddaramaiah’s assertion to continue five guarantee schemes has come amid voices emerging within the Congress government to do a “rethink” on the programme, with calls to exclude ‘rich’ beneficiaries. On the challenges in Centre-State relations, the Chief Minister said, “In recent years, the central government has been deviating from this principle (federal system), leading to discrimination in the allocation of funds to states.”
By ignoring constitutional principles, there is a tendency to delay the financial share due to the states, which is not in the interest of the people, he said. “Unfortunately, states are compelled to seek legal recourse to obtain their rightful share from the Centre. On this occasion, I urge the union government to understand the fact that the nation can develop only if States are developed and to release a fair amount of grants to States for development.”
Pointing out that history has always shown that the people never forgive backdoor politics that disregard the people’s mandate, Siddaramaiah said in a democratic system it is expected that opposition parties function responsibly in tandem with the principles of the Constitution, by respecting the mandate given by the people of the state.
“Firstly we must keep away divisive forces that play politics based on caste and creed. Secondly, we must keep people with a mindset to subvert the constitutional institutions and the values away from power and finally he (Ambedkar) had warned that political democracy cannot survive without social democracy,” he added. Stressing on the need to remember the contributions of freedom fighters and national heroes, who laid a strong foundation for modern India based on scientific temperament and secularism, the CM said, “We must be conscious about the fact that failing this, we will end up witnessing disturbing developments like the ones happening in our neighbouring countries.
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First Published: Aug 15 2024 | 12:18 PM IST
