From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jul 28: After the sudden midnight decision to cancel his government’s one-year anniversary programme named as "Janotsava’’ at Doddaballapur, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting with all senior government officials in Vidhana Soudha and then addressed a press conference to announce several anniversary gifts, prominent among them being the supply of 75 units of free power to poor families of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities.

Bommai said the decision to cancel the one-year bash proposed to be held at Doddaballapur on Thursday was taken as his conscience did not allow organising the function to speak about the government’s achievements after the dastardly murder of BJP worker Praveen Kumar Nettaru at Bellare of Sullia Taluk in coastal Dakshina Kannada district by anti-social elements.

However, political grapevine has it that BJP National President J P Nadda, who was scheduled to attend the function, is said to have called the Chief Minister and State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who incidentally hails from Dakshina Kannada district, late at night informing them that he would not be attending the one-year anniversary when party workers were angry over the murder of BJP activist Praveen as well as Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga district in February as it would send a wrong message to party workers.

Taken aback by Nadda’s refusal to attend the one-year back, the Chief Minister reportedly was huddled in discussion with his senior cabinet colleagues, including Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, who hails from Chikkaballapur district, and decided to cancel the event. A chastened Chief Minister convened a hurriedly convened press conference at his official residence post-midnight to announce the decision to cancel the Doddaballapur bash.

Bommai admitted that there have been different comments on the sudden decision on cancellation of the one-year bash and asserted that it was a conscious decision after considering the views of the ministers in charge of the districts as well as party workers.

The Chief Minister said the BJP rule in the State has completed three years today, including two years under his predecessor B S Yediyurappa. "It is my responsibility and accountability to inform the people of the government’s achievements,’’ he said profusely complimenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J P Nadda besides thanking all the cabinet colleagues, legislators, party leaders and workers.

"Ours is a team with ministers having experience of being efficient administrators. All of us committed to serve the people and work unitedly. The performance was severely impacted by the Covid pandemic and all of us have worked to solve the problems of people,’’ he said pointing out that the government has been responsive to the needs of the people and has done its best for the development of the State.

The Chief Minister told the reporters at his press conference in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday that he decided to inform the people about the various developmental works undertaken by his government during the last one year and also share details of new schemes to benefit different sections of the people to mark the first year anniversary, which include SC/STs, Education, Youth Empowerment and improvement of infrastructure facilities in the health sector.

The details of the schemes are:

Free Power Supply upto 75 units to SC/ST families

Under the scheme to benefit SC/ST families, 75 units of free power will be supplied every month and the amount will be transferred to beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system with effect from Thursday itself. About 25 lakh families will be covered and the cost to exchequer will be Rs 700 crore.

Self-Employment Scheme

Under the banner of Babu Jagjivan Ram, a self-employment scheme to benefit 100 SC/ST youth in each of the 224 assembly constituencies in the State.

Construction of 8000 classrooms

As many as 8,000 classrooms will be constructed under the ‘’Viveka’’ scheme to improve education and infrastructure facilties.

Upgrading of 100 PHCs as Community Health Centres

A total of 100 primary health centres will be upgraded as community health centres. However, in the backward Kalyana Karnataka or Northern Karnataka districts, 71 PHCs will be constructed in areas which have health indicators below the State average

Women Empowerment Scheme

With a view to help Stree Shakti Sanghas to take up self-employment scheme by providing an incentive of Rs 1.50 lakh loan facility and also link them with Anchor Banks to ensure training, marketing of products under the women’s empowerment scheme. About 5 lakh women will get End-to-End assistance.

Swamy Vivekananda Yuvashakti Scheme

With a view to encourage 5 lakh youth to take up self-employment opportunities, one Vivekananda Self-Help Group will be established in each of the 28,000 villages in the State with all facilities for training, marketing, bank assistance etc.

Punyakoti Adoption Scheme

In order to involve public participation in protection of cattle, launch of Punyakoti Adoption Scheme through a website. Every individual can take up the maintenance of a cow by making an annual payment of Rs 11,000. The individuals are free to adopt cows or if the amount of Rs 11,000 is paid, it will be utilised for the maintenance of cows in government run gau shalas.

Vidyanidhi Scheme

Launch of Vidyanidhi scheme for the children of weavers. It will benefit 10 to 12,000 students.

Vidyanidhi Scheme for children of taxi drivers

Launch of Vidhyanidhi scheme for the children of tax drivers. It will benefit 50,000 children of taxi drivers.

Vidyanidhi Scheme for children of fishermen

The Vidyanidhi scheme has been extended to children of fishermen.

The government has issued the necessary orders on all the schemes announced today and arrangements for financial grants have also been made, the Chief Minister said and stated that the different Vidyanidhi schemes will be effective from today itself.