BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s remarks that many women are ready to forgo the free bus travel under the Shakti scheme sparked a political slugfest with opposition leaders terming it a plot to halt the scheme.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, clarified that there was no proposal before the government to revise the scheme. Speaking to media persons, the CM made it clear that the government has no such intention.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy also said the Shakti scheme will neither be dropped nor revised.
“Some women who travel by Benz cars might have suggested to the DCM to revise the scheme,” he said with sarcasm. The scheme will be continued for another 3.5 years and also for another five years as the Congress will come back to power again in 2028, he said.
However, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy termed the DyCM’s remarks as a plot to halt the scheme. “Did women appear in a dream to Shivakumar and ask him to stop the Shakti scheme? This is just the first step in their plan to halt the five guarantees, one by one,” he said.
Speaking to the media while campaigning in Tittamarahalli village in Channapatna constituency on Thursday, Kumaraswamy said the government will soon end schemes like Anna Bhagya, Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi and Yuva Nidhi, all under the pretense of review.
Hitting out at the DyCM, the JDS leader said, “Who is tweeting, claiming that women are demanding the end of the Shakti Scheme? Have women suddenly become economically empowered, according to them? Have they achieved financial strength in just one and a half years?”
Kumaraswamy argued that the so-called review of the Shakti scheme is just the beginning of phasing out the guarantees one by one. This review is simply a pretense to halt the guarantees. Since coming to power, the government has been using these guarantees to brainwash people, thereby halting development projects entirely, he said.
He further criticised the government for burdening people in the name of guarantees, taking their money and distributing it in bits. “With unrealistic promises made to win the election, they have put the state in ruin,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said he is not against giving guarantees, but urged the government not to ruin the state’s economy in doing so. “We do not envy these guarantees. If you want guarantees, double them. But do not push the state into bankruptcy. Development has come to a halt under this government,” he said.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka claimed that the state transport department is facing losses and the state government has to pay crores of rupees to the department.
Ashoka said the Congress-led government has emptied the state treasury. “Two of their guarantee schemes have failed. While deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has hinted at stopping the Shakthi scheme, the government is also trying to restrict BPL cards. When that is the case, we don’t know how they are facing polls,’’ he said.
Calling the government as “Tuglaq government”, Ashoka said two of the guarantee schemes have been “flops”. The government is looking for some reasons to shut these schemes. “We had said that the Congress will stop the guarantee schemes if they come to power and now the government is on this path,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, BJP members will stage a protest on November 4 against Minister Zameer Ahmed on the Waqf issue. “We will take it to the logical end,’’ Ashoka said.
