Financial condition of Karnataka worsened due to guarantees: Ex-PM Deve Gowda

Bengaluru, Oct 3 (PTI) Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday alleged that the financial condition of Karnataka has worsened due to the 'five guarantee' schemes being implemented by the Congress government.

He also claimed that there is no money to deal with the severe flood situation in six districts of north Karnataka, including Kalaburagi.

The JD(S) patriarch said he would visit Kalaburagi and neighbouring flood-hit regions within a week to see the situation on the ground.

He also said that he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking compensation for the flood-affected people.

"The financial condition of the state has worsened due to the "guarantees". It’s not me who is saying this but the Congress MLAs,” the former PM said in a press conference.

Stating that there is confusion among the ruling party MLAs, the 92-year-old JD(S) supremo said, "They (Congress MLAs) say there is no money even to deal with such a severe flood situation.

The five guarantee schemes are ‘Gruha Jyothi’ offering 200 units of electricity free to every household, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme promising Rs 2,000 to every woman head of a family and ‘Anna Bhagya’ offering 10 kg rice to every member of the BPL family a month.

The Yuva Nidhi’ promises Rs 3,000 dole to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders for two years (in the 18-25 age-group) and ‘Shakti’ scheme permits free travel for Karnataka women to travel within the state in government run non-luxury buses. PTI GMS GMS ADB