ULB polls throw spanner into silk saree sale plan

Promising to sell silk sarees at discounted prices on the occasion of Varamahalakshmi festival, the state government found itself at the receiving end as it failed to keep up its promise.

Citing the model code of conduct ahead of polls to the local bodies, the state government deferred its grand plan to sell sarees to women.

The Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC), through which the sarees should have been sold, has deferred the plans indefinitely. Connecting with the women folk across the state, especially in the backdrop of Varamahalakshmi festival, Sericulture and Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh had announced that the government, through KSIC, would sell silk sarees at a discounted price of Rs 4,500 to women.

In fact, keeping track of the announcement, several women had flocked KSIC showrooms across the state to make use of the scheme.

However, the Corporation, deferring the scheme indefinitely, had closed shutters of the showrooms at several places. The confusion over the scheme had triggered an intense backlash among women as the festival was fast approaching.

However, on Friday, on the day of the festival, Mahesh clarified in Mysuru that the scheme has been deferred owing to the model code of conduct ahead of polls to the local bodies. “We had sought permission from the Election Commission. But till date, we have not heard from the Commission. Hence we chose to postpone the scheme indefinitely,” the minister reacted.