BENGALURU : Karnataka will aim to become a $1 trillion economy by 2037 under a long term development plan unveiled by chief minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday, as the Congress government marked 100 days in office.
The government also announced ‘Udyoga Sethu’, a platform intended to connect job seekers with private employers and help train young people for available jobs. “We have also introduced a new programme called ‘Udyoga Sethu’. Students and job seekers will be able to register on the platform, while companies can list their requirements.
The five guarantees include Gruha Jyothi, which provides up to 200 units of free electricity to households; Gruha Lakshmi, which gives ₹ 2,000 a month to the woman head of a family; Anna Bhagya, which provides 10kg of rice a month to each member of a Below Poverty Line family; Shakti, which provides free bus travel for women; and Yuva Nidhi, which provides monthly assistance to unemployed graduates and diploma holders.
Many young people are looking for employment, and we want to create more employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas and beyond Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said. He said the programme would be led by deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and minister Sharan Prakash Patil, with training and skill development tailored to the requirements of companies, factories and individual units.
The vision, presented at ‘Drudha Karnatakada Sankalpa’ programme at Vidhana Soudha, sets out a nine point ‘Nava Sankalpa’ covering employment, infrastructure, education, healthcare and regional development. “After the government was formed under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara and I worked on ideas and commitments in the manifesto. “I am not driving this chariot (the government) alone. This is the government of the people of Karnataka. We value the trust that you have placed in us. We are thinking of ways to bring visible change to every household. Karnataka is moving forward on the path towards a century of progress. We are committed to taking the state forward on the path of development.
The programme also served as an account of the government’s first 100 days, with Shivakumar reaffirming its commitment to five welfare guarantees introduced by the Congress government. He said one month’s payment under Gruha Lakshmi was pending, while 44.4 million people were receiving benefits under Anna Bhagya. He said women had made 821 crore free bus trips under the Shakti scheme, for which ₹ 15,735 crore had been spent. Another 3.72 lakh young people were receiving Yuva Nidhi, with ₹ 1,154 crore spent on the programme. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah said the 100 day programme was intended to place the government’s work before the public rather than serve as a celebration. “Today marks the completion of 100 days of D K Shivakumar as CM. Shivakumar, who took charge as chief minister on June 3 after Congress discussions over the leadership of Karnataka government, said the administration’s larger objective was to translate its mandate into visible changes for people.
The government said the roadmap was intended to set the state on a long term path of growth. We have the confidence that we have delivered the five guarantees to the people,” Shivakumar said. The government is implementing the promises made to the people,” Siddaramaiah said. He said the government’s policies were aimed at reducing social disparities and building an egalitarian society, while giving priority to increasing agricultural production. The dreams of the youth and the vision of a strong Karnataka are our goals,” he said.
It is not a celebration, but to place before the people an account of whether the government is moving in the right direction.
