From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Aug 15: Fresh from his hospitalization and recovery after being tested COVID 19 positive and mandatory home quarantine, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa took the guard of honour by wearing a face mask at the 74th Independence Day parade and fervently appealed to the people to ‘’wear a face mask, maintain social distancing and follow all guidelines’’ to win the war against the Corona pandemic.
Addressing a largely scaled down and subdued Independence Day parade which was conspicuous with the absence of children or big crowd of spectators at the Manikshaw Parade Ground off the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Chief Minister sought the utmost cooperation of the people by adhering to the guidelines announced by the Government in the fight against COVID 19.
“The government, which set out with the strong resolve to build a prosperous Karnataka, has faced many challenges and problems,’’ he said pointing out that it has done its best to ensure that the challenges have not affected the march towards progress.
Listing out the series of challenges faced by the State Government, Yediyurappa said the unprecedented record rains, floods and drought as well as the most disruptive and dangerous pandemic COVID-19 has posed huge challenges. “Unfazed by these challenges, we have taken firm steps towards development and make progress,’’ he said.
“Economic recession, job losses, loss of revenue to the government and social and economic activities grinding to a halt has resulted in distress to the people. Our government has implemented many schemes and projects to ensure peace, relief and tranquility in society and help people see a ray of hope in this hour of gloom. By incorporating the essence of the vachana, ‘work is worship’ in our work culture, we have been striving day in and day out to realise the dream of aphorism, ‘the work of the government is the work of god,” he said.
Approval for Shivamogga, Karwar, Vijayapura airports
The Chief Minister said airports in Bidar and Kalaburagi have commenced operations to encourage industrial activities in this region while work on setting up an airport in Shivamogga has gathered pace. The government has given administrative approval to launch work on Karwar and Vijayapura airports, he announced.
The State Government’s initiatives and talks with more than 40 prominent companies during the World Economic Forum summit held in Davos, Switzerland seeking investment in Karnataka resulted in approval for 101 industrial projects worth Rs. 27,000 crore at the state level even during the COVID period.
Dwelling on the recent rain fury in Kodagu and other districts and the flood-like situation, he said strict instructions have been given to officers to immediately reach out to the families in distress. “We have issued orders to immediately give a relief of Rs 10,000 to the affected families and Rs 5 lakh for the construction of the new house if a house is completely damaged. Under disaster relief fund, we have issued instructions to give immediate and appropriate relief to the affected families,’’ he said.
Pointing out that 11 districts including Kodagu, coastal areas and parts of North Karnataka, were flood-hit, he said the government is committed to ensuring the safety of people and animals. Total grant amount of about Rs 984 crore is available in the District Commissioner's accounts. ``I have been responding to the people’s problems by seeking information on the situation on the hour,’’ he said.
Talking at length on the government’s efforts on a war-footing to manage COVID-19, he said the government had set up ministers’ task force, expert doctors’ task force and officers’ task force to ensure the situation is successfully managed at the state and district levels.
Kalyana Raja, Raja Dharma
“Our aim is to build a ‘Kalyana Rajya’ (Welfare state) with the avowed principle of ‘development as the only mantra,’’ he said declaring: ``While fighting the global pandemic COVID-19, we are taking giant strides towards realizing Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of building a Ram Rajya and will practice Raja Darma in true earnest.’’
Yediyurappa said, ``There’s a belief that serving people is akin to serving God. You have chosen us to be in office. Realising the responsibility thrust upon us and keeping in mind the welfare of people in these critical times, we have taken many pro-people decisions.’’
“COVID-19 is a global pandemic and scourge. This has affected not only just the health sector, but continues to affect every single sector. The pace of life that had slowed during the lockdown is slowly recovering now. I, too, was infected by the coronavirus and I have fully recovered. I would like to send a message on this occasion that the people need not worry or be afraid of this infection.
The Chief Minister said the State Government has been executing new plans and projects to generate employment opportunities across Karnataka, including rural areas. The government has come out with schemes to ensure that the migrant workers who returned from urban clusters to their villages get jobs under the employment guarantee scheme.
The government has set up dedicated hospitals for the treatment of the infected, fever clinics and COVID Care Centres in Bengaluru and all other district headquarters besides establishing quarantine facilities to identify and isolate the infected persons.
Under Ayushman Bharat scheme, the State Government distributed Health card to more than 1.31 crore people and offered health coverage to 8.5 lakh beneficiaries at a cost of Rs 1694 crore and implemented all possible steps to ensure quality healthcare for its people.
Yediyurappa pointed out that the government announced a relief package of Rs 3187 crore for the benefit of migrant workers, daily wage workers, farmers, those depending on floriculture, weavers, fishermen, construction workers, hairdressers, dhobis, taxi and auto rickshaw drivers and to help many others in the unorganised sector.
He expressed his appreciation and gratefulness to all COVID warriors, including the government machinery, private establishments, industrialists and volunteers who have been working relentlessly in these trying times.
“I would like to bring it to your notice that government is providing treatment free of cost if these warriors got infected by COVID, and in case of death Rs 30 lakh compensation will be given to their family,’’ he said pointing out that the health warriors have fought this war like the soldiers on the front line.
Amid the pandemic in the state, the government successfully conducted the SSLC exams and the Common Entrance Test. It should be mentioned that candidates, despite testing positive for COVID-19, were allowed to write the examination with special arrangements, he said.
Farmers have been our first and primary concern. Along with the annual Rs 6,000 assistance announced by the Centre under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to all eligible farmers, the state government gives an additional Rs 4000 of which the first instalment of Rs 2,000 has already been released, he said adding: “We are transferring Rs 1,000-crore in first instalment, to the accounts of about 50 lakh farmers. 10 lakh farmers in the state have been given crop loan to the tune of Rs 6,500 crore. For the financial year 2020-21, the government has set a target of disbursing Rs 14,500 crore worth of crop loan in its resolve to ensure that all eligible farmers get loan.’’
The government has come to the rescue of farmers in distress by buying Rs 3175 crore worth of farm products such as green gram, tur dal, groundnut, chickpea and copra under the minimum support price programme from 5.82 lakh farmers.
The government has made big changes in the co-operative sector which is the backbone of the agriculture economy. With the objective of allowing farmers to sell their produce at a market of their choice, the government has made changes to the APMC Act. Besides, the market cess imposed on produce traded at agriculture marketing yards has been reduced from 1.5% to 0.35%. Due to these two measures, the farmers will get a better price for the produce they grow and they also get higher income.
The Hyderabad- Karnataka, which enjoys a special status under Article 371 (J) of the Indian Constitution, has been renamed Kalyana Karnataka. To accelerate the all-round development of this region, Kalyana Karnataka Human Resources, Agriculture and Cultural Association has been formed to plan for Rs.500 crore programmes in this region.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, from April 1 onwards, the government has created 7.06 crore man days and paid wages to the tune of Rs 1,856 crore. From April to August, job cards have been given to 3.73 lakh families. “Karnataka has already achieved 53% of its annual target in the first four months of the current financial year,’’ he said.
Rs 30,695 cr Metro Phase II completion in June 2024
“We have accelerated the implementation of suburban rail network for Bangalore, which is a global investment destination. We will take up Phase II of Bangalore Metro at a cost of Rs 30,695 crore and we hope to complete the project by June 2024,’’ the Chief Minister said.
The government has a plan to create greenery on either side of the 400 km primary canals, besides carving out bicycle and pedestrian trails next to the bund. In the first stage, the historic major canal (Raja Kaaluve) from Dharmanbudhi Lake (where the Kempe Gowda bus stand is located now) to Bellandur lake will be taken up for this project with eco-system, construction of 36 km length walking and cycling path and embellish the city’s cultural and social facets in that region.
As much as 110 acres of land that belonging to NGEF near Byappanahalli Metro station has been identified and is being designed with people-friendly plans. In this plot, plants with a wide variety of species with organic diversity will be grown. The plans also include setting up of food court, traditional cottage industry, Fun Park for children’s entertainment and provide space for handloom exhibition and sale, Yediyurappa mentioned.
The Chief Minister lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in offering assistance to the people and all States under the Atma Nirbhar economic package and particularly mentioned August 5 as the most historic moment as on this day, the process of kick-starting the development of Jammu and Kashmir and the reorganization as the laying of the foundation stone for the centuries-old dream of constructing Ram Mandir at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya was undertaken.