JOIN USDon't cut grants to previous govt's pro-people schemes: Bommai to CM
Mounting pressure on the Congress government, former chief minister Basvaraj Bommai on Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking him not to cut funding for schemes announced by the previous BJP government.
In his two-page letter to the CM written in Kannada, Bommai congratulated him for assuming the office of the chief minister for the second time.
He said the previous government had increased interest-free short-term loan limit to farmers from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, while earmarking funds for the construction of school classrooms under the Viveka scheme.
“Funds have been allocated to all pro-people schemes by our government. The allocation of Rs 1,500 crore, which was increased to Rs 3,500 crore for the revolving fund under the farmers' minimum support price scheme, should not be reduced. Raitha Vidya Nidhi scholarship scheme should not be dropped or grants should not be reduced,” he said.
The letter said the BJP government’s free bicycle scheme, increased to 1 lakh bicycles, should not be dropped or the number of bicycles reduced.
“We had introduced dialysis centres and free chemotherapy treatment. These should not be dropped to meet the expenses for the Congress party’s guarantees,” he said.
The BJP government had allocated funds to implement high-profile mobility schemes like the Bengaluru suburban railway project and Metro rail projects, to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru city.
“The union government is sharing the cost of these projects. Hence, the chief minister must be considerate in not reducing any grants to such important schemes,” he pointed out.
Bommai said the CM had been holding a series of meetings to fulfil his party’s poll promises, which are likely to cause an additional burden of at least Rs 50,000 crore annually.
“We fear that the government may try to reduce grants allocated to various pro-people schemes launched by the previous government. The CM must take steps so that the additional burden on the exchequer due to the Congress' election promises does not derail the state’s fiscal health,” he said.