Chief minister DK Shivakumar, former CM Siddaramaiah and DCM G Parameshwara at Vidhana Soudha
Bengaluru: Former chief minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah Thursday gave the DK Shivakumar-led govt a positive assessment of its first 100 days, but urged it to fulfil remaining poll promises, continue the five guarantees and address drought during the rest of its term. Speaking after inaugurating the Drudha Karnataka Sankalpa programme at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said the 100-day milestone should be used to assess the govt’s performance rather than merely celebrate it. Earlier, Shivakumar launched several initiatives to mark 100 days in office, including Seva One, Raitha Chaitanya, a CSR portal for schools, free bus passes for students, the BMTC and One Karnataka mobility apps, and a programme to install retrofit emission control devices. He said the govt was targeting a $1 trillion economy by 2037 and aimed to bring malnutrition, school dropouts and poverty below 5%. It also plans free houses and sites for homeless SC and ST families in rural areas, infrastructure upgrades in SC and ST residential areas and self-employment support for 50,000 youths from SC, ST, backward-class and minority communities over two years.
It is moving in the right direction,” he said. Siddaramaiah said govts in a democracy were accountable to the people and had to periodically assess whether their commitments were being implemented. “These days are not meant merely for celebration,” he said.
“I feel Shivakumar has been making efforts to continue the guarantees and introduce new programmes. “They are an opportunity and a responsibility to place before ourselves whether we are moving in the right direction or not.
Mukhya Mantri Negila Yogi will provide farmers owning up to three acres a 50% subsidy on farm machinery hire, capped at Rs 4,500 annually. The CM Raita Chaitanya Digital Agri-tech Mission will use drone and satellite surveys to provide crop and market information. Other initiatives include an agriculture and allied sectors export mission, Comprehensive Rainfed Agriculture Policy, Tegada Siri, Karnataka Protein Mission and Gramanubhava.