BENGALURU: Opposition BJP leaders on Friday warned the State Government of launching a state-wide agitation if it failed to reconsider its decision of diverting Rs 11,144 crore from the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for implementing the guarantee schemes.
Speaking at the protest demonstration against allocating SCSP/TSP funds for guarantee schemes, former CM Basavaaj Bommai said the Congress that came to power by giving many assurances to people is playing with the lives of Dalits. CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar visited Dalit colonies ahead of the Assembly polls to distribute guarantee cards and they should have informed them that the government will use SCSP/TSP funds for guarantees, the former CM said.
Now, by diverting the grants, the government is doing an injustice to SC/STs, he said and added that the government that had claimed that it would provide Rs 34,000 only allocated Rs 23,000 for SCSP/TSP.
“It has allocated Rs 700 crore for Shakti scheme. But how will the government identify SC/ST travellers who were benefited from the scheme? The government allocated Rs 5,500 crore for Gruha Lakshmi... but how will you identify the beneficiaries from those communities?” Bommai said.
He questioned the State Government’s claims that Rs 11, 144 allocated for guarantees will be used only for people from those communities. Bommai said SCSP/TSP funds must only be used for the welfare of people from those communities and the government can mobilise resources for guarantees from other sources.
Meanwhile, the former chief minister also slammed Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa for accepting such a proposal to divert funds. The State Government had justified allocating Rs 11,144 crore in the SCSP/TSP grants to guarantee schemes and claimed that it will be mandatorily used for families belonging to SC/ST communities.