Bengaluru, February 26. In a sharp rebuttal to Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar’s remarks labeling the state’s guarantee schemes as a financial burden, Large and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil asserted on Thursday that these welfare initiatives are integral to development, not a liability. He urged affluent citizens to refrain from availing these benefits meant for the underprivileged.
Patil emphasized, ‘These guarantee schemes are not a burden; they form the backbone of our growth strategy. We’re investing Rs 60,000 crore as promised to the people of Karnataka.’ He highlighted how these programs have uplifted numerous lives without straining the government’s finances, crediting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s adept fiscal management.
Home Minister G Parameshwara weighed in, defending Shivakumar by noting the collective effort behind the party’s manifesto. ‘As chairman of the manifesto committee, I can say it was a team endeavor. Shivakumar might have insights others lack, prompting his candid view,’ Parameshwara said.
Addressing concerns over wealthy beneficiaries, Parameshwara admitted no income-based exclusions were built into the schemes initially. ‘We assumed the well-off wouldn’t claim them, but now even owners of 100-acre lands are receiving Rs 2,000 monthly aid.’ He drew parallels to PM Modi’s call for voluntary LPG subsidy surrender, echoing CM Siddaramaiah’s similar appeal.
Amid BJP’s accusations that the five guarantees are bankrupting Karnataka, Shivakumar himself acknowledged the schemes’ weight during a speech on the ‘Kusuma Sanjeevini’ initiative for hemophilia patients. ‘Yes, they are burdensome, but we won’t let financial woes cause mental distress,’ he affirmed, underscoring the government’s commitment to public welfare over fiscal austerity.
This internal Congress discourse reveals the tightrope walk between populist promises and economic prudence in Siddaramaiah’s administration, as the state navigates ambitious welfare amid rising expenditures.