From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Jan 27: Entire Karnataka and people can expect good and pro-people budget in February, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in Mysuru on Friday, January 27.
The chief minister will be presenting the State budget for the year 2023-24 on February 17.
Speaking to media persons at the Mysuru airport, Bommai said he will inform the State legislature while presenting the budget as to how many of the electoral promises of ruling BJP have been fulfilled.
“Just wait for another two weeks. You will get all information," he said.
The chief minister said different political parties have different strategies. “There is no need for us to copy what other parties are doing. We have our own electoral strategies,” he said.
Bommai said the Shadi Bhagya scheme implemented by the previous Congress regime under Siddaramaiah rule has brought ‘’misfortune’’ (daurbhagya) to him and his party.
To a question on Siddaramaiah’s statement that he will retire from politics if the Congress government is unable to fulfil the promise of 200 units of free power to all domestic consumers and Rs 2,000 each per month to all housewives, the chief minister said the very fact that he is talking about retirement from politics is indicative of his mindset.
“Obviously, he (Siddaramaiah) is unsure of Congress victory,” he said.
'PM Modi's statement on Muslims not appeasement'
The chief minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advice to BJP leaders to take Muslim community into confidence does not mean he has asked for snatching Muslim community’s votes.
“The Prime Minister has merely asked BJP to take all communities, especially minorities into confidence and work for the progress of the country. You should remember that he has been saying so from the beginning as is evident from Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas,” he said adding: ``There is no question of appeasement of any particular community.’’
Bommai said the state government is determined to end the menace of the leopard straying into the Mysuru city areas and a special task force has been constituted.
First priority for basic infrastructure to students
Before leaving for Mysuru, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Science Fair 2023 in Bengaluru, and said the State Government will accord the top-most priority for providing basic infrastructure facilities to students.
The government spends crores of rupees on the residential educational institutions. Money is spent on building, compound walls and other things. As told in the State cabinet and functions special attention must be given on providing basic facilities to kids. First you make the changes to be done and then focus on other things, he said.
Bommai said despite spending Rs 30 crore on each school the facilities that should have been made to the children are not happening. This is the gift of the previous governments due to the contract system. When Govind Karjol was the Social Welfare Minister, special funds was given towards providing desk, sleeping place and books, and lot of things have improved in the last three years.
“It is happy to note that the Residential Schools Association organised the Science Fair. The purpose of starting the residential schools is to provide higher education, quality education to SC/ST and Backward Classes children. Over 1000 schools are participating in this science fair. Upon the evaluation of these schools it was found that the students of these schools have improved a lot and scored more marks than others in the competitive exams. They have come out of inferiority complex and gained self-confidence,” he said.
He said these institutions need to be strengthened further, and the children must be given quality education for them to develop their personality. The government is formulating special programs in this regard.
Stressing the need to start the competitive exams in schools, Bommai said equality has been ensured among the kids. The shortfalls in schools must be addressed and take all steps to prepare the children to face the competitive exams. The students have come here by scoring good marks and they must go back from here with over 90 per cent marks.
Minister Kota Srinivasa Pujari has done good works and teaching karate to three lakh girl students is a big achievement. The minister has taken steps to remove untouchability in the society. Holding the science fair is a good experiment to allow the kids to show their scientific temperament. Earlier, learning science was very difficult and now things have changed. Introducing science to deprived children will bring changes in the society. This kind of science fair must be held in other places.
Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivasa Pujari, Chief Minister's Principal Secretary N Manjunath, Social Welfare Department Principal Secretary P Manivannan and others were present.
The chief minister visited the residences of former Chief Minister S M Krishna and Kannada novelist Dr S L Bhyrappa on being conferred the prestigious Padma Awards by the Centre by visiting their residences in Bengaluru and Mysuru respectively.