How Congress’ 5 Poll Guarantees Will Benefit Women, Middle Class

When the Congress government came to power in Karnataka in 2023, various schemes were queued up for people's welfare.

During the election, the Congress party announced five key eye-grabbing poll guarantees including free bus travel for women, 200 units of free electricity, 10 kg of free foodgrains to the poor, Rs 2,000 for the woman head of the household and unemployment benefits of up to Rs 3,000.

As a first step, the Siddaramaiah government has set aside about Rs 52,000 crore annually to implement the five key poll promises of the Congress party as he presented the 2023-24 budget in the Legislative Assembly.

However, the Congress's welfare schemes met with criticism with the opposition BJP claiming if implemented, the government schemes would be a huge burden on the state exchequer and may derail the prudent finances of the state.

How the government plans to spend the money

To implement all five guarantees, the government needs approximately Rs 52,000 crore in a year which is expected to reach about 1.3 crore families.

This means the government will be providing, on an average, additional financial assistance of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 monthly to each household, which is about Rs 48,000 to Rs 60,000 every year.

"Shakti scheme aims to empower women. The nation cannot progress without women, who constitute 50 per cent of the population. They are equal partners in the development of the nation.

Over 41. 86 lakh women in the state will be benefitted from the scheme irrespective of their religion and caste.

For example, the monthly bus (except AC bus) fare on BMTC bus is Rs 1,050 per month. 2,100 per month is directly saved if two women in a working-class family go to work and rely on BMTC buses.

A saving of two thousand rupees is a huge amount for people from the middle-class family.

Also, lakhs of women, come Bengaluru for work from neighboring taluk/district centers like Tumkur, Kolar and Chikkaballapur etc. If the monthly up and down charge for Bangaluru is kept at 3000, the money saved for a family is nothing less.

With the new strength, women are measuring the length and breadth of Karnataka in government buses. One of the most sacred places of Karnataka, Dharmasthala on the bank of River Netravati in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada, has become the choicest destination for women, who are thronging there in hordes.

Under the Grilakshmi Yojana, a scheme of Rs 2,000 per month for family members (BPL/APL) will soon be implemented. Two thousand per month is very valuable for some families.

To help people fight the onslaught of price rise and save up for essentials such as food, education for children, and healthcare, the Congress has decided to provide 200 units electricity, free of cost, to every household in Karnataka. When citizens use electricity up to 200 units per month, they are exempted from paying the electricity bill, saving about Rs.1,000 each month.

Under Yuva Nidhi, an unemployed graduate will get Rs 3,000 per month and unemployed diploma holders Rs 1,500, which will have a big positive impact on the communities that they are targeted at.

If all the schemes announced by the government are implemented properly, the life of women and the middle class will become more beautiful. This is a fact that even the opposition must accept.