In an attempt to contain unrest among Congress workers and leaders, the State government has decided to constitute three-tier committees — at the State, district, and Assembly constituency levels — by nominating party workers to them for monitoring the implementation of the five guarantee schemes of Anna Bhagya, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi, and Yuva Nidhi.
There would be a president/chairperson, five vice-presidents/vice-chairpersons, and 31 members in the State-level committee. The president would be given the State Cabinet rank status and benefits, while the vice-presidents would be given the rank of the Minister of State.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the district-level committee would have a president, a vice-president, and 21 members. The district-level president would be given an honorary allowance of ₹50,000 a month. The Assembly constituency-level committee would have a president, a vice-president, and 11 members, with the president eligible for an honorary allowance of ₹20,000 a month.
All committee members would be given a sitting fee. No MLAs and MLCs would be appointed to these committees, the Chief Minister said.
The government decision would accommodate hundreds of party workers, former legislators, and senior leaders and is likely to contain unrest ahead of elections to the Lok Sabha. Sources said that denial of positions in the government bodies, even after seven months of the formation of the government, has irked party workers at the ground.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the decision to form the committees was taken at a meeting attended by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and senior leaders of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the committees would help the government in the “effective implementation” of the five guarantees. The government would launch its fifth guarantee, Yuva Nidhi, in Shivamogga on January 12.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said committees would be formed in a week and the five guarantees were expected to benefit 4.3 crore people. A sum of ₹38,000 crore would be spent on the implementation of the guarantees in 2023-24 and ₹59,000 crore would be needed in 2024-25.
Various committees such as Ashraya, Aradhana, water users’ associations, and land grant, would be formed in the next few days and party workers would be nominated to such committees, Mr. Shivakumar, KPCC president, said.
State, district, and Assembly constituency-level conventions of beneficiaries of the five guarantees would be organised in February and March, he said.
