Siddu, DKS appeal to affluent to give up perks & privileges
BENGALURU : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have appealed to the “haves” to give up the guarantees announced by the Congress government in order to help the “have-nots”. “If the ‘haves’ generously give up the guarantees aimed at the ‘have-nots’, it will help reduce the financial burden on the government. So that funds can be utilised for development works,” Siddaramaiah stated in a letter. “Many government officials, media heads and those in the private sector have written to me stating that they want to give up ‘Gruha Jyothi’. Anyone willing to opt out of this scheme will be given an opportunity. When the Union Government launched a campaign asking people to give up LPG subsidy, many responded positively. Here too, the guarantees can be given up,” said Shivakumar.
He said even families living in rented houses are eligible for ‘Gruha Jyothi’. K Amaranarayana, retired IAS officer, who claims to have been generating 6.5 kVA of solar energy on the terrace of his house, has written to Shivakumar stating that he is not keen on using ‘Gruha Jyothi’ benefits. In his letter, Amaranarayana suggested that all government officials from IAS to C grade and income taxpayers should give up the guarantees. “Broadest shoulders should bear the heaviest burden,” he stated. Since Congress has come to power with a thumping majority, there might be some party sympathisers who are ready to take a call on giving up the guarantees.
But their number might be small, sources said. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, who is making preparations for the budget likely to be presented in the first week of July, has got the cost estimation for the guarantees for a year somewhere between Rs 47,000 and Rs 50,000, sources said.
Certain guidelines have been prepared for each of the five guarantees. Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma will soon submit them to the government. On certain guarantees, there will be riders for Class I and Class II government employees and income taxpayers in general.
‘OPPOSITION RATTLED BY CONG PROMISES’
MYSURU: Agriculture Minister N Chaluvrayaswamy said the Congress government’s decision to implement five guarantees without any conditions to keep up its promise has rattled the opposition parties in the state. Speaking at the function organised by the District Congress to thank the voters for supporting the grand-old party in the assembly election, he said the BJP and JDS failed to implement the welfare programmes for the empowerment of the people nor they had the heart to hail the Congress for its guarantee schemes.