KARNATAKA: Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of Karnataka, announced the cabinet's decision to fulfill all five guarantees within the current fiscal year after presiding over the meeting.
The party had outlined five guarantees, including giving 200 units of free electricity to all households (Gruha Jyoti), giving 2,000 rupees a month in assistance to the woman who heads each family (Gruha Lakshmi), giving 10 kg of free rice to every member of a household that falls below the poverty line (Anna Bhagya), giving 3,000 rupees a month for two years to graduate students who are unemployed and 1,500 rupees
In the recently held election in Karnataka, the Congress party won 135 out of 224 seats, securing a resounding victory. The Congress is now required to keep its pledges and uphold the faith the people have placed in them.
"We discussed five guarantees in detail and we will implement them in this financial year for all, irrespective of caste and creed," said Siddaramaiah on Friday, as he announced the guarantees.
Announcing the Gruha Jyoti scheme, Siddaramaiah said, "Electricity will be free for 200 units of consumption. This is based on the average usage of electricity. Whoever consumes electricity in this manner for the entire year, will get an additional 10% concession on the bill."
The Congress-led administration has calculated that putting these programmes into action will cost about Rs 50,000 crore per year. K H Muniyappa, the minister of food and civil supplies, has reaffirmed the party's commitment to delivering on these promises, promising that the distribution of 10 kg of rice will be carried out without delay and that more information will be made available following the Cabinet's decision.
Rahul Gandhi, a senior in the Congress and a former leader of the party promised during the election that the programmes would be put into effect the day the new administration assumed office.
The government has agreed in principle to implement the guarantees, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who took office on May 20. He requested time till the next cabinet meeting.
"We have given approval in principle. We will get details, discuss, financial implications will be looked into and then we will do it for sure. Whatever the financial implications may be, we will fulfil these five guarantee schemes," Siddaramaiah told reporters after the first Cabinet meeting.
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