Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI) Two Ministers in the Congress government on Wednesday raised the pitch to tweak its much-touted 'guarantee schemes' to benefit only the economically-weaker sections to lessen the financial burden. Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi said the state exchequer will be able to save at least Rs 10,000 crore annually by excluding the rich from the schemes, which were pre-poll promises of the party. According to political analysts, these promises played a key part in the Congress storming to power, dethroning the BJP, in the Assembly elections in May last year.
However, the schemes failed to sway the voters in this year's Lok Sabha elections, in which the party bagged only nine seats of the total 28 in the State with the rest going to the BJP-JD(S) combine. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had, while presenting the state budget earlier this year, announced that Rs. 52,000 crore has been set aside for the five guarantee schemes during 2024-25.
“Through the five guarantee schemes, we are putting Rs.52,000 crore in the hands of crores (millions) of people..
. an average of Rs.50,000 to Rs.
55,000 is transferred to each family every year through these guarantee schemes,” Siddaramaiah had said. Speaking to reporters here, Jarkiholi said: “I am not saying that they (guarantees) should be stopped. People are saying that these guarantees should be given to the poor and not the rich people.
This is being discussed in hotels, among workers and everywhere." " Even the.