BENGALURU: The Opposition Congress and JDS have termed the Rs 1,250-crore relief package announced by the State Government on Wednesday as “unscientific and inadequate”.Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said it is just eyewash, and the state should have taken a cue from neighbouring states that have announced much better packages to help people.
“The government must provide 10kg rice and Rs 10,000 each as relief to the working class. The Chief Minister said it is a Rs 1,250-crore package, but details released by the government show it is Rs 1,111.82 crore. In that, Rs 494 crore is compensation for construction workers. That money comes from workers’ welfare fund and should not be included in the package,” he said.
The government has extended recovery of Rs 134.30 crore loan by cooperative banks by three months, and this should not be treated as a relief package, he added. “Last year, the CM had announced a Rs 2,100-crore package, in which Rs 850 crore was from the construction workers’ welfare fund, but the government had claimed that it provided the funds,” the former CM said.
“Many people did get relief. The government had announced that it will give Rs 5,000 each to 7.75 lakh autorickshaw and cab drivers in the state. But in reality, only 2.10 lakh people got it. Over 50 per cent of horticulture farmers did not get any relief. The Tamil Nadu government provided Rs 4,000 to 2.08 crore families, he said.
State Congress President DK Shivakumar said the government had announced a package last year, but people did not get relief. “Announcements of Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 is not adequate. If the government is serious about helping people, it must give Rs 10,000 as aid. Allow gram panchayats to identify people in need of assistance and give it to them,” he said.Former Chief Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy too termed the package as inadequate.
“Kerala government had announced a Rs 20,000-crore package. Karnataka is a bigger state, how can Rs 1,200 crore be adequate?” he questioned.However, BJP state general secretary N Ravi Kumar said the relief package, announced despite financial constraints, will help a large number of people.