TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore, Apr 10: Raising the stakes steeply, the Congress on Wednesday unveiled a Rs 10,000-crore budget promises to green card-holders, weaker sections and unemployed youth in Karnataka. 

And this is only the first instalment of several freebies it has lined up for the poor. This includes 25 kg rice per month at Rs 2 per kg and a free colour TV for all green card-holders. 

Going a step ahead of former finance minister B S Yeddyurappa’s budget announcement of 4% interest rate on cooperative institutions’ loan to all farmers, the Congress promised loans at 3% interest to farmers, women self-help groups, potters, handloom weavers, fishermen and shepherds. It will waive off loans taken for houses under Ashraya and Indira Awas Yojana. 

The promises were released at a joint press conference here by leaders Prithviraj Chavan, S M Krishna, Mallikarjun M Kharge, Siddaramaiah and C K Jaffer Sharief. 

Siddaramaiah said: “To fulfil these promises, we need around Rs 10,000 crore.’’ The government would need Rs 1,500 crore to provide rice at that subsidized rate, Rs 2,000 crore to waive housing loans and Rs 200-300 crore to provide loans at 3% interest. He said each colour TV would cost Rs 5,000 and the total number of TVs required will be 60 lakh. 

Kharge promised more: “These are only the highlights of our budget for the poor.’’ He added that the manifesto will have a special focus on Bangalore. 

On discrepancies in figures over the number of green card-holders, Kharge said: “If voted to power, we’ll take up the task of issuing green cards on a war-footing and complete the exercise in six months. Later, based on the list, we’ll fulfil our promises.’’ 

Asked if these freebies won’t affect the financial health of a government, Krishna said: “There will be fiscal discipline. We’ll work out the resources once we get the mandate. We have proved in the past that the state’s finances can be maintained with pro-poor programmes.’’

WHAT’S ON OFFER

• Maximum 3% interest rate on all loans taken by farmers, women SHGs, potters, handloom weavers, fishermen and shepherds
• Yeshaswini Health Insurance coverage to be extended to all green card holder families
• Rs 1,200 p/m stipend for two years linked to skill training programme for SSLC passed youth
• Houses for 15 lakh houseless families in five years.

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