BENGALURU: BJP state president BY Vijayendra criticised the Congress government over its alleged attempts to reduce the number of BPL card-holders, thus trying to clip the number of beneficiaries to its guarantee schemes. “The state government is making an attempt to save money since these cards are also tagged to Gruhalakshmi and Anna Bhagya schemes,” he said, demanding that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confess about the government’s inability to fulfil the promised guarantees.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Friday, Vijayendra said the Congress has failed to implement the guarantees. “We are not against removing ineligible beneficiaries of BPL cards. But the government is making lame excuses and has cancelled lakhs of BPL cards,” he alleged, pointing out that if a BPL card is cancelled, the required funds allocated to the Gruhalakshmi scheme and the Anna Bhagya scheme will be saved. In doing so, the state government intends to save crores of rupees.
Further, Vijayendra said ever since the Congress government was elected to office, a series of scams have surfaced, including the MUDA site scam, one at the Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the liquor scam, among other issues. “The CM is trying to hide and hand over these cases to agencies that will help the state government come out clean. He should have resigned taking moral responsibility. But he is misusing his power,” he alleged.
Vijayendra further alleged that Siddaramaiah has become helpless in mobilising funds, because of which, the government is making attempts to reduce the number of beneficiaries to guarantee schemes. Also, the government has not given the allowance of over Rs 1,000 crore to farmers. “The Kisan Samman scheme initiated during CM BS Yediyurappa’s tenure to farmers has been stopped,” he said.
Speaking about Congress MLAs’ allegations that the Opposition BJP tried to bribe them into jumping ship, Vijayendra said their party is not interested in damaging, or seeing the Congress government’s downfall. “But the behaviour of Congress leaders is making its own MLAs revolt against their party. This is because they are unable to take up development works for want of funds,” he said, adding that ministers and MLAs have lost trust in Siddaramaiah.