Bengaluru: Janamana, a public interaction programme to coincide with the completion of three years in power by Siddaramaiah-led Congress government was held on Friday.
Chief Minister in his speech announced that the State government will extend the Ksheera Bhagya scheme from the present three days a week to six days soon. He added that he was committed to uphold equality and social justice and claimed that his government was for “all” and did not create welfare schemes keeping any particular communities in mind.
In his speech, the CM focused on how his government schemes have benefitted the dalits and all sections of the people and assured that the remaining two years of his tenure he will focus on putting governance on the high-speed track of efficiency and transparency.
He held an interaction with the beneficiaries of various schemes and programmes launched during the last three years.
Answering to a query by one of the students, he said, “I agree to the demand made to extend the Ksheera Bhagya to six days of the week. Even though, it will be a burden on the exchequer, I won’t mind it as this scheme will help strengthen future generations,” he said.
“If anything can bring a smile on a poor man’s face, I am for it,” he announced.
Wondering how Anna Bhagya, which feeds about four crore beneficiaries, be dubbed as only meant to benefit one particular community, he said, “When I announced schemes like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhgaya and Ksheera Dhara it never occurred to me that I was planning for a particular community. I was only thinking of making Karnataka a ‘hunger free’ state,” he said.
Responding to criticism by his opponents, he said, “I am always for the people and by the people, and I have never cared for my opponents. I respect criticism but not criticism for the sake of criticism.”
“Is it my fault that none of my predecessors actually thought of providing two square meals to the hungry people in the state?” he wondered.
A boy from Shivamogga urged the government to focus on merit based scholarships instead of caste-based scholarships.
“Sir, I welcome your decision to provide milk for school children, but I would like the milk which the state serves to have almonds, pista and many more dry fruits to increase its nutritional value. But, I do not like schemes which are caste based. In this state, either you have to be poor and belong to a certain caste or rich to indulge in malpractice like the one — question paper leak — that took place some weeks ago. Both will not help us. We Brahmins are poor too, so please look towards us sympathetically,” he added.
A school girl from Dharwad demanded that school teachers be relieved of additional duties like distribution of milk and serving mid-day meal to students.
A college student from Gadag urged the CM to consider extension of education schemes like Vidyshree scholarship schemes to young widows.
