5 poll promises to be implemented soon: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
What's the story
In his first address as Karnataka's chief minister, Siddaramaiah on Saturday said an order has been issued to implement the Congress's "poll guarantees" after the first cabinet meeting, reported ANI. Notably, the grand old party made five main promises in its manifesto before the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections. Siddaramaiah added the "guarantees" would be in force within a week after the next cabinet meeting.
Twitter Post
Check out Siddaramaiah's statement
Karnataka | Five guarantees in the manifesto were promised and the order for the implementation of those five guarantees was given after the first cabinet meeting. All will be in force after next cabinet meeting which will be called within a week: CM Siddaramaiah during a press… pic.twitter.com/wRQ1cvrj6q
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2023
Quotes
Rahul Gandhi said promises will be implemented today
Earlier on Saturday, Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi said that all five promises "would become law" in the first cabinet meeting. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru, Gandhi said, "We made five promises to you... In one-two hours, the first cabinet meeting of the Karnataka government will happen and in that meeting these five promises will become law."
Promises
What are 5 promises of Congress?
The five promises are Gruha Jyothi: 200 units of free electricity to all households, Gruha Lakshmi: Rs. 2,000 assistance to the woman head of a family, and Anna Bhagya: free 10kg rice to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. They also include Yuva Nidhi: Rs. 1,500/month to diploma holders and Rs. 3,000/month to graduates for two years, and Shakti: free bus rides for all women.
Cost
How much will promises cost?
According to PTI, the implementation of the Congress's all five "guarantees" would cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs. 50,000 crore a year. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the move, alleging that their implementation would push the state into financial bankruptcy. However, key party leaders have already defended the promises, saying they cannot be called "freebies" as they are tools of empowerment.