BENGALURU: Admitting that his government has been giving preferential treatment to people of the AHINDA communities, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said it was part of rendering social justice in the state.
AHINDA is a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and dalits.
At a press meet organised by the Press Club and the Reporters Guild, Bengaluru, on the occasion of the Congress government completing two years in office on Wednesday, he said, “I have no qualms in admitting it.”
Strongly defending the various programmes and schemes announced by his government such as Shaadi Bhagya for women of minority communities and the school tour programmes for children of AHINDA communities, he said they were meant for the deprived sections of the society.
“Opposition parties have failed in their role and have criticised our government’s programmes with ulterior motives,” he said.
The CM said he had tried to live up to the expectations of the people who had voted the party to power in 2013, but said, “We still have a long way to go in fulfilling our promises.”
Siddaramaiah hit back at BJP leader Jagadish Shettar’s charge that the Congress government had not achieved anything in the last two years and said, “Let the Opposition leaders open their eyes and then comment on our government’s achievements.” Talking about his government’s feats, he said over 1.08 crore people belonging to the BPL category had been receiving rice free of cost and that 10.10 lakh APL families would also be brought under the PDS ambit shortly.
“Over 21 lakh farmers were disbursed farm loans at zero per cent interest and the state government had paid a cash incentive of `250 to farmers for every tonne of sugarcane,” he said.
He said bringing a legislation to earmark budgetary allocation according to the percentage of the SC/ST population was a revolutionary step and questioned why BJP leaders could not do it when they were in power.
He said his government had done everything they had promised to do.
“Opposition parties have been spreading false propaganda against our government, but they will not succeed,” he said.
‘Will Lead Congress in 2018 ELECTIONS’
Siddaramaiah, who had said he would retire from politics after this term, has changed his mind and said he will remain in politics for the 2018 Assembly elections. He told reporters, “BJP leaders’ nation-wide ‘Congress-mukt India’ slogan has motivated me to change my mind. I will not only complete the remaining term of three years in office, but will also lead the Congress to victory in the 2018 Assembly elections.”