BJP, JD (S) stall K’taka House proceedings over Cong workers’ appointment into Guarantees Implementation Committee
Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP and JD (S) legislators stalled the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, condemning the appointment of Congress workers as office-bearers of the Guarantees Implementation Committee by the Congress government and the expenditure of Rs 15 to Rs 20 crore on their salaries and perks.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka later announced that the opposition would continue its protest inside and outside the Legislative Assembly from Wednesday.
Earlier, following a heated discussion, BJP MLAs came to the Well of the House and started raising slogans against the Congress government. Speaker U.T. Khader initially adjourned the House. When the proceedings resumed, BJP and JD (S) MLAs, under the leadership of R. Ashoka, intensified their protest, chanting slogans and accusing the Congress government of looting money from the state exchequer to benefit Congress workers.
Despite Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stating that the issue would be discussed in the cabinet meeting, BJP MLAs remained adamant. Speaker Khader then adjourned the House for the day.
JD (S) MLA M.T. Krishnappa, representing the Turuvekere constituency, raised the issue in the Assembly and questioned why Congress workers were appointed as office bearers of the Guarantees Implementation Committee, sidelining MLAs. He argued that when MLAs and officials were already overseeing programme implementation, the Congress government was unnecessarily spending state funds on party workers.
BJP MLA and General Secretary V. Sunil Kumar asserted that the Congress government had no right to distribute taxpayers’ money to Congress workers. He claimed that no ruling party in the past had appointed its workers and paid them salaries to oversee government programmes, calling the move illegal.
R. Ashoka criticised Deputy CM Shivakumar, stating that as the state president of the Congress party, the latter failed to differentiate between the government and the party. “How can you give taxpayers’ money to Congress workers? If you really want to pay them, go beg on the streets. These Congress workers have been given cabinet rank, official bungalows, and offices,” he alleged.
In response, Shivakumar defended the move, saying, “It is the will of the government. The party workers who brought this government to power have every right to oversee its programmes.”
Ashoka countered by questioning whether BJP workers could be appointed to monitor Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi’s programmes.
BJP MLA Satish Reddy remarked that a similar experiment was conducted in Andhra Pradesh by the YSR Congress and had failed.
MLA Krishnappa insisted that MLAs should not be ignored and demanded that the committee be dissolved.
Former Home Minister and BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra stated that politics should not interfere in such matters. “The Congress workers appointed as office bearers of the committee are conducting parallel meetings instead of working with MLAs. Don’t you trust us? We are already receiving salaries and perks for the same purpose. This is undemocratic,” he said.
Shivakumar responded by stating that the BJP had always opposed the guarantees. “Our government is allocating Rs 52,000 to Rs 56,000 crore, which is 20 per cent of the budget, for the guarantee schemes. The BJP is also implementing guarantees in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
BJP MLA Sunil Kumar clarified that the party was not opposing the guarantees but objected to the committee formed to monitor their implementation. Ashoka challenged the government to review past records, asserting that he had never spoken against the guarantees.
Ashoka further stated that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had recently acknowledged that a debate was needed on the guarantee schemes as they were proving to be a burden on the government. In response, Shivakumar declared that as long as the Congress government was in power, the guarantees would continue.
MLA Sunil Kumar maintained that the BJP would not allow the Congress government to halt the guarantee schemes.
Ashoka concluded by stating that in the last 75 years, no government had undertaken such a destructive decision. Shivakumar, however, countered by asserting that it was a constructive move.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha after the session, Ashoka alleged that the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is misusing taxpayers’ money. He claimed that the funds are being given into the pockets of Congress workers.
“In every Assembly constituency, Congress leaders are being appointed and given a salary of Rs 25,000, along with personal assistants. A sitting fee of Rs 1,100 has been fixed. The state president is receiving a salary of Rs 40,000, while the vice president is being paid Rs 25,000. Every year, Rs 15-20 crore is being looted and distributed among Congress workers,” he alleged.
He further stated that government funds should reach the poor. “Cooks in Anganwadis are being given an honorarium of Rs 3,000, ASHA workers receive Rs 7,000, and guest lecturers are paid Rs 12,000. This money could have been allocated to universities or increased payments for Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers. The BJP strongly opposes the Congress government’s decision to distribute money to its party workers,” he said.
