Bengaluru:
A massive row has erupted in Karnataka after the Siddaramaiah government appointed Congress workers as office-bearers of the panel set up to fulfill pre-poll guarantees and earmarked funds for their salaries and allowances.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) have accused the ruling Congress of looting taxpayers’ money to pay its workers. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has responded that Congress workers have every right to oversee the state government’s programmes.
BJP MLAs today staged a protest outside the Vidhana Soudha. JD(S) MLA MT Krishnappa raised the issue in the Assembly yesterday. He said that when MLAs and officials had been overseeing programme implementation, the Congress government was unnecessarily spending funds on party workers.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka criticised Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief Shivakumar and said he had failed to differentiate between the government and the party. “How can you give taxpayers’ money to Congress workers? If you want to pay them, go beg on the streets. These Congress workers have been given cabinet rank, official bungalows, and offices,” he alleged.
Mr Shivakumar defended the move. “It is the will of the government. The party workers who brought this government to power have every right to oversee its programmes.”
Mr Ashoka then asked if BJP workers could be appointed to monitor Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi’s programmes.
Former Home Minister, BJP’s Araga Jnanendra, said Congress workers appointed to the panel are conducting parallel meetings instead of working with MLAs. “Don’t you trust us? We are already receiving salaries and perks for the same purpose. This is undemocratic.”
Mr Shivakumar responded that the BJP had always opposed the guarantees. “Our government is allocating Rs 52,000 to Rs 56,000 crore, which is 20 per cent of the budget, for the guarantee schemes. The BJP is also implementing guarantees in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.”
“Everyone from the Prime Minister to an MLA of BJP criticised the guarantee schemes. Irrespective of the opposition, we went ahead and rolled it out. The guarantee schemes will not stop as long as the Congress government is in power. The people were distraught with price rise and inflation. Our government introduced the guarantee schemes to alleviate their pain. The BJP said we would not be able to implement it, but we approved the guarantee schemes within five days of coming to power,” the Deputy Chief Minister added.
Outside the Assembly, Mr Ashoka told the media, “In every Assembly constituency, Congress leaders are being appointed and given a salary of Rs 25,000, along with personal assistants. A sitting fee of Rs 1,100 has been fixed. The state president is receiving a salary of Rs 40,000, while the vice president is being paid Rs 25,000. Every year, Rs 15-20 crore is being looted and distributed among Congress workers.”
At the protest today, state BJP chief BY Vijayendra targeted Chief Siddaramaiah. “He is misusing state funds and taxpayers’ money to pay the salary of the chairman of the guarantee implementation scheme. We raised the issue in House, we are protesting today and will submit a memorandum to the Governor.”