Guarantees have covered 4.3 crore people, claims Congress leader Surjewala

Bengaluru: The Congress’ four guarantees have reached 4.30 crore beneficiaries in the state, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Saturday.

“The state government has reserved Rs 38,000 crores for all our five guarantee schemes in the current year. Importantly, so far, 4.3 crore beneficiaries of the state have benefited from four major guarantee schemes,” Surjewala said in a statement. 

Surjewala said the registration process for the fifth guarantee ‘Yuva Nidhi’ that provides a monthly allowance to unemployed graduates and diploma-holders would begin by the end of December. “In Karnataka, the Congress had given five guarantees to the public during the Assembly elections. People trusted the promise of guarantees and gave 136 seats in the Assembly, which brought Congress to power with an absolute majority, thus increasing our responsibility,” Surjewala said. 

Siddu, DKS off to Delhi

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, are likely to head to New Delhi early next week for what could be a final meeting with the party’s top brass to finalise appointments to boards and corporations.

The Congress is under pressure to finalise these much-delayed appointments in order to pacify lawmakers who could not be made ministers. Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Surjewala have already held three meetings on the matter. 

According to sources, the party is likely to finalise 25 MLAs and four MLCs for various boards and corporations. Party workers and others will be considered after the Lok Sabha polls, it is said.