Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed satisfaction with the public backing received by the Congress in the by-elections. He criticized the BJP for lack of development and mismanagement, emphasizing the success of Congress guarantee schemes. Siddaramaiah clarified that despite BJP’s claims, the schemes continue post-elections with substantial financial allocations.
The Chief Minister defended the state’s fiscal management, stating that borrowing remains within prescribed limits. He blamed the Centre for withholding funds, impacting the state’s financial stability. Siddaramaiah also accused the Centre of causing a significant loss to the state exchequer due to GST rate reductions before Bihar elections.
Addressing corruption allegations, Siddaramaiah highlighted the direct transfer of scheme benefits to prevent malpractice. He contrasted the current debt levels with the previous BJP government’s financial legacy. The Chief Minister assured the settlement of pending contractor payments, emphasizing the government’s transparency in financial matters.
Siddaramaiah shifted focus to inflation control, attributing the responsibility to the Central government. He underscored the state’s efforts in maintaining fuel prices lower than neighboring regions. The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to internal reservation policies and criticized the BJP for neglecting marginalized communities.
Regarding recruitment, Siddaramaiah outlined plans to fill over 56,000 vacancies this year and assured a phased approach to address staff shortages.
