Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the state government will purchase 4,000 buses for the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and recruit 13,000 drivers, conductors and mechanics.
During the discussion in the State Assembly on the motion of thanks to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's address to the joint session of the Karnataka Legislature on July 3, the chief minister said, "The KSRTC’s ‘income’ has increased ever since the ‘Shakti’ scheme offering free travel to Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses started on June 11."
"The state government will bear the expenditure met by the KSRTC on Shakti scheme. Rs 2,900 crore will be needed for the scheme in the next nine months, which we will give," Siddaramaiah said.
"We are going to recruit 13,000 drivers, conductors and mechanics in the KSRTC. We will purchase 4,000 new buses so that students and men are not affected by the Shakti scheme," the chief minister told the Assembly.
According to him, over 18 crore women have travelled in the state under the ‘Shakti’ scheme till July 12.
On BJP's allegation of imposing conditions on the guarantee schemes, the chief minister said, "No political party discloses them at that time of poll campaign".
"However, women are happy. 18 crore women have travelled. Is it not empowering women? The money is saved. Now women are travelling to temples and to their parents’ house," Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister said five out of three guarantees, 'Shakti', 'Anna Bhagya' offering 10 kg rice and 'Gruha Jyoti' providing free electricity to domestic consumers up to 200 units, have commenced in the state.
The other two schemes - 'Gruha Lakshmi' promising Rs 2,000 to the women head of the family of ration card holders will start from August 16 while 'Yuva Nidhi' offering Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders, who graduated this year, will start after six months of the academic year if they do not get a job, he said.
"These schemes will give money to the families, especially women, which they will spend. Eventually it will give thrust to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and create job opportunities," Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister said the state government has already released a grant for the election guarantees, and the government will require Rs 52,000 crore annually. In this financial year with nine months to go, the state may need Rs 34,410 crore.
He also said each family will get around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month from the schemes.
BJP senior leader and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the hike in liquor prices by 20 per cent will drain all the money families earned from the schemes, and women will realise that they are back to square one.
"We need funds (for the schemes). How to mobilise this?" the chief minister said, as he explained that his government has hiked excise duty, revised the guidance value of properties, motor vehicle tax and taxes on activities related to mines and geology to generate an additional revenue of Rs 13,500 crore.