New Delhi: The Karnataka Cabinet meeting today will take a decision on implementing the five guarantees promised by the ruling Congress during the Assembly elections in May. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “We are committed to implement the guarantees, there is no doubt about it. After the officials shared their views and information, we have asked them to rework and present it before the cabinet.”
The five guarantees promised by the Congress are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
"We have announced five guarantees. We discussed them elaborately yesterday. Tomorrow we will take a decision. We have assured that we will give 10 kg rice. There is no second thought about implementing it but I will explain to you after the Cabinet decision," Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa said on Thursday. “We will implement the guarantees we have promised in a phased manner. In case, they (Centre and the FCI) refuse, we on our own will procure rice through tender or though organisations and distribute it to the beneficiaries,” he added.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has also been waiting with bated breath to see how the Congress implements these guarantees, which according to them, will push the state towards financial bankruptcy.
The BJP alleged that the government has no intention to implement the guarantees and had made false promises to come to power. "They said they will implement it on the day they assume power but they could not do it. The delay has proved that the Congress is a party of cheats," BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said.