BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has cleared A $600-crore action plan to develop minority colonies in the state along with other infrastructure and welfare schemes even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Congress of indulging in appeasing “just one minority community”.
The state cabinet, at its meeting on Thursday, announced support for high-speed rail corridors. $18,133-crore suburban project around Bengaluru and plan to implement development projects in colonies dominated by minority community.
“On the one hand, the Karnataka government, which was sitting quietly while making excuses to the Supreme Court that there is no money to conduct GBA elections, is now delving into oil minority politics by distributing funds,” Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashok said on Friday. $600 crores just to secure the vote bank. “This is just a ploy to appease only one community, and not what is truly in the interest of the state.”
He pointed out what he described as lapses in governance, adding: “There is no money for holding GBA elections. There are no proper salaries for Anganwadi or ASHA workers. No salaries for library staff, NREGA staff and lecturers. State farmers are consuming poison in government office buildings, and job seekers are flocking to the streets to fight for employment. But for the Siddaramaiah government, satisfying minorities is the top priority. This government, which uses people’s tax money only for electoral gains, has no trace of morality left.”
The announcement came at a time when the ruling Congress is dealing with internal tensions linked to the Davanagere South elections. K Abdul Jabbar, who headed the minority section of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, resigned after disagreements over selection of candidates and management of the election campaign. Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar accepted his resignation and dissolved the minority cell committee.
While announcing the Cabinet decisions on Thursday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil dismissed Opposition suggestions that the timing was linked to the by-election in Davanagere South. “Do you think an action plan will be prepared suddenly after the by-election in Davanagere?” He added that the proposal had been in the works for some time and such allegations were baseless.
Giving details of the Cabinet decisions, Patel said the state government will provide legislative and administrative assistance to the Center in implementing the 607-km Hyderabad-Bengaluru high-speed rail corridor.
The Cabinet also granted in-principle approval for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Suburbs Project in Bidadi, which is estimated at approx $18,133 crores. Patel said the project will cover around 7,481 acres across nine villages in South Bengaluru and Ramanagara taluk district.
