Karnataka: Siddaramaiah begins with a bang, rolls out polls promises in a month
Siddaramaiah means business.
A month after storming to power after a landslide win, the Congress government under Siddaramaiah has begun with a bang, wasting no time in rolling out the major poll promises the party had made in its poll manifesto.
Besides offering free bus rides for women and free electricity up to 200 units for households, albeit with conditions, the Congress government is intent on repealing some of the “controversial” laws brought in by the previous BJP government, including undoing several revisions in textbooks, which progressive thinkers and educators felt was ‘saffronising’ education.
Yes, the schemes will cost the state exchequer at least ₹50,000 crore.
Shortly after taking oath, Siddaramiah brushed aside allegations that these schemes would push the state into debts and financial bankruptcy. “When we are paying ₹56,000 crore (annually) as interest on our loan, can’t we spend ₹50,000 crore for our people?” he asked.
Here’s what the Congress government has done so far.
- Free bus travel
One of the first poll promises Siddaramaiah delivered soon after becoming CM was the free bus travel service in state-run buses for women and transgenders in Karnataka. Targeted at working women from the poor/lower-middle class, the scheme, involving free bus rides on 18,609 government-run buses, has opened to huge response.
When it was launched on June 11, on a Sunday, nearly 5,71,023 women had availed of the free bus facility by the end of the first day. More than 41.8 lakh women passengers are expected to benefit from this ‘Shakti’ scheme every day.
Also read:Free bus travel for women: Karnataka model vs TN, other states
When launching the scheme, the CM shared the purpose of the scheme. He said women’s representation in public life in India had dipped and we were not only behind countries like the US and Australia, but also Bangladesh. “This (women’s representation) must increase…and this (Shakti) is a means to empower women,” reiterated Siddaramaiah, who donned a conductor’s uniform on the day of launch, dispersing smart cards to smiling women inside a bus.
Women bus commuters will require a Shakti smart card to use this free bus facility in the future but for now a valid government photo identity card gets them a zero-value ticket.
Also read: CM Siddaramaiah launches free bus travel scheme for women in Karnataka
2. Free power
‘Gruha Jyothi’, another one of Congress’ five electoral promises, has taken off with residential consumers registering for the scheme, which opened on June 18.
However, this scheme is not a free-for-all, as the Siddaramaiah government has laid down a few conditions which consumers need to fulfill before becoming eligible.
Firstly, it is not for commercial consumers and meant only for residential households. Secondly, consumers get free power only if their average power consumption in these households is below 200 units. Also, free power should not exceed 10 per cent of the average monthly consumption over the last 12 months. For example, if a household’s average power consumption is 50 units, they will get free power up to 55 units only and they have to fork out for any additional amount of power consumed by them.
Also read: Karnataka’s free power scheme: Who is eligible and all you need to know
This scheme is expected to benefit nearly 96 percent of consumers. In case, you need to apply, please click here.
3 Textbook revision
Under the BJP government in Karnataka, the Congress, progressive thinkers, writers and educators had raised a hue and cry over the alleged saffronisation of school textbooks in the state. A huge controversy had erupted over the alleged replacement of a chapter on Bhagat Singh with an essay on a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in the revised Kannada textbook for Class 10.
And, there were allegations that a chapter on Narayana Guru and several other prominent figures and their literary works were dropped. The Congress promised to undo some of the changes made in these textbooks if they were voted to power.
Last week, the Karnataka government, in a cabinet meeting, ordered revision in the content of Kannada and Social Science textbooks of Classes VI to X. They made 18 major changes, and 15 lessons were added after dropping old ones.
Also read: Karnataka: Siddaramaiah govt set to shelve controversial textbook revisions
Among the significant changes announced by the Karnataka Textbook Society was the removal of RSS founder KB Hedgewar’s ‘Nijavada Adarsha Purusha Yaragabeku’? (Who should become an Ideal Man?) with ‘Sukumara Swamiya Kathe’ by Shivakotyacharya in Class X Kannada textbook. Also, a book on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, ‘Kalavannu Geddavaru’ by KT Gatti, has been replaced with ‘Blood Group’ by Vijayamala Ranganath in Class VIII Kannada textbook.
A play by Parampalli Narasimha Aithal will be replaced with a Kannada translation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter to Indira Gandhi, in the Class VIII Kannada textbook. A prose piece by Hindutva proponent Chakravarthy Sulibele, ‘Taayi Bharatiya Amara Putraru’, has been dropped without any replacement in the Class X Kannada textbook. The lesson ‘Savitribai Phule’ by HS Anupama has been added to the Class VII Kannada textbook.
The government has introduced new chapters on ‘Vedic Culture’ and the rise of new religions for class 6 in social science. Further, a new chapter on human rights has been brought in.
4. Repealing anti-conversion bill
On the same day the Karnataka cabinet ordered the textbook revisions, the Congress government also decided to repeal the State’s Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022 — popularly known as the anti-conversion law — one of the most controversial legislations introduced in the previous BJP regime.
The Congress had promised to revoke this law, which had angered minorities, especially Christians. As soon as the government assumed power, the Siddaramaiah government is all set to repeal the law, which was introduced by the former BJP government to allegedly act as a deterrent to so-called “forced” conversions happening in the state, especially those of young women and marginalised communities.
Also read: Starved of funds, Karnataka’s Indira Canteens on verge of closure
5 Revival of Indira Canteens
Indira Canteens, touted as Karnataka’s answer to the Amma Canteens in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, were on the verge of closure, plagued by problems ranging from non-payment of bills to contractors to salary arrears, maintenance challenges, and to a drastic drop in food quality and quantity.
It was Siddaramaiah’s pet project, which turned into a white elephant largely because the BJP, the current ruling party, did not support it.
Out of the 175 Indira canteens set up in 2017, only 163 are operational today. Now back in power, the government plans to revive its cherished project. The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has embarked on a rescue mission to give the Indira canteens a new life.
The plans are to revive the ailing canteens, expand the menu, establish canteens in new wards and transform these budget eateries. The BBMP are currently surveying the condition of the canteens in each zone, to identify the ones that need basic infrastructure to be revamped, the old ones that were shut will be brought back.
Suggestions are there to improve the breakfast menu and ensure food safety department officials conduct regular checks. The proposal and budget are yet to be approved. However, according to news reports, the revamp will cost around ₹10 crore.
The government expects footfalls to go up after the renovation of the canteens since many rely on this affordable meal for survival.
The Anna Bhagya scheme (coming soon)
The Congress government is also working hard to launch its Anna Bhagya or the free rice distribution scheme by July 1 despite huge challenges like the availability of rice. After the Food Corporation of India (FCI) stopped the sale of rice to the state governments, Siddaramaiah government has been knocking at various doors for rice. Punjab and Chhattisgarh have agreed to provide rice.
Also Read: Karnataka rice scheme for poor at the heart of Siddaramaiah-Centre battle
