BENGALURU: A unique development model based on the principle of social inclusiveness to make Karnataka hunger-free and ensure health and housing for all would be a reality soon, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday. It will be a model for other states to follow, he said. Delivering the keynote address at the ‘Vision 2025’ conclave organised by The New Indian Express here, Siddaramaiah talked about his government’s ‘Nava Karnataka-2025’ initiative and how he draws from his own life experiences to frame policies and programmes. “I have borrowed from my own experiences of hunger, poverty and unemployment while drafting policies and programmes. My experiences guide me when I sit to draft the budget,” Siddaramaiah said.
“It is only by empowering every section and segment of society with a development philosophy shaped by Basaveshwara, Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi that the state can progress,” he said at the conclave attended by ministers R V Deshpande, D K Shivakumar, Ramalinga Reddy, Basavaraja Rayareddy and Tanveer Sait, actor and filmmaker Ramesh Aravind, several celebrities and thought leaders from various fields.
“The Vision-2025 would end social inequalities, regional disparities and bring world-class infrastructure to showcase a unique Karnataka model of development,” he asserted, taking an indirect dig at the much-touted ‘Gujarat Model.’Listing a slew of welfare programmes like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya, Indira Canteen, and Ashraya Housing, Siddaramaiah assured equal thrust for improving Bengaluru’s infrastructure and to further improve the city’s ecosystem to make it a global hub of innovation and electric vehicles. Reiterating his government’s thrust on employment creation, he assured that Karnataka would be the top job creator in the country in the next two years.