Karnataka govt to come up with new scheme for women

"Within a week, the government will issue an order to implement a scheme that will benefit 10 lakh stree shakti groups by offering financial aid of Rs 10,000 crore," he said after launching a saree distribution scheme here.

Yeddyurappa's announcement comes in the wake of zilla and taluk panchayat elections in the state next month.But an element of uncertainty persists over the polls as Governor H R Bhardwaj has refused to repeal an ordinance on reservation of seats to backward classes.
The cabinet had yesterday decided to request Bhardwaj to allow it to promulgate another ordinance on the issue.

Yeddyurappa said Karnataka has 1.51 crore Self Help Groups which recorded transaction of Rs 1,150 crore last year.In an attempt to win over vegetable and fruit vendors and autorickshaw drivers, he promised to set up a Rs 500 crore revolving fund to provide them loans at lower interest rates.

He assured farmers that they would be able to avail farm credit at one per cent interest as against three per cent now, from next year.Yeddyurappa told women that Opposition parties have been agitating to stall the saree distribution programme. "The opposition is intolerant towards my government and have been creating hurdles from day one".
Without naming former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said a JDS leader alleged that he has earned a kickback of Rs 100 per saree purchased. "Each saree costs only Rs 195 and including transport, the cost might go up to Rs 210".The Chief Minister said a similar charge was levelled when he distributed bicycles to schoolchildren