VIJAYANAGARA/BENGALURU: The Congress govt in Karnataka, riding high after its success in the recent bypolls, faced quite an embarrassment after the party's Vijayanagara MLA HR Gaviyappa publicly urged chief minister Siddaramaiah to cancel some of the flagship guarantee schemes initiated by the govt, citing need for fiscal prudence.
According to Gaviyappa, the financial strain in running these schemes was turning out to be an impediment in ensuring an efficient delivery of housing projects to the underprivileged.
While the CM is yet to react to Gaviyappa's suggestion, deputy CM and state Congress president D K Shivakumar was quick to condemn the exhortations. Terming them out-of-line with the party's commitment to the people, he said: "I am going to issue him [Gaviyappa] a show-cause notice."
Addressing a public meeting in his home constituency recently, a video of which went viral on Tuesday, Gaviyappa said: "It has become difficult to provide houses to people due to guarantee schemes. I request the CM to cancel 2-3 guarantee schemes that are not needed. Then at least we will be able to provide houses. Let's see what the CM says."
Gaviyappa's statement, captured in a video clip, further highlighted that Rs 40,000 crore had already been mobilised to implement the guarantee schemes this year.
The MLA also expressed his frustration, claiming that funds allocated to his constituency were insufficient.
Reports suggest that Vijayanagara received only Rs 22 crore, compared to the Rs 60-70 crore allocated to its neighbouring constituencies.
Disapproving of the Vijayanagara Congress MLA's views, Shivakumar was stern in his comments on his partyman, saying: "He cannot do this. There is no question of stopping any guarantee. We are committed to the people of the state. We will continue it, and no one can raise their voice."
The controversy follows shortly after Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the state leadership for comments suggesting a rollback of guarantees in Karnataka and Shivakumar himself had come in for some castigation from the party's national president.
"You have given some guarantees. After seeing them, I too said in Maharashtra that there are five guarantees in Karnataka. Now you (Shivakumar) said you would cancel one of those guarantees. It seems you don't read the newspapers, but I do. So, I'm telling you this," Kharge had said categorically.
"No MLA of the Congress party should question the guarantee schemes. We will initiate action if anyone does so."
D K Shivakumar | Deputy CM and Congress president