Govt to come up with new scheme for women

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, on a saree distribution campaign ahead of the panchayat polls, today announced another initiative for women, stating that his government would draw up a Rs 10,000 crore financing scheme by next week to help “stree shakti” groups.

“Within a week, the government will issue an order to implement a scheme that will benefit 1 million stree shakti groups by offering financial aid of Rs 10,000 crore,” he said after launching a saree distribution scheme here. About 53,200 beneficiaries covered under Bhagyalakshmi girl child insurance scheme selected from Mysore and Hunsur taluks were today given a saree along with bangles and vermillion by the CM.

Yeddyurappa at a well attended function here.

Yeddyurappa’s announcement comes in the backdrop of the state facing zilla and taluk panchayat elections next month. But an element of uncertainty persists over the polls as Governor H R Bhardwaj has refused to repeal an ordinance on reservation of seats to backward classes.      The cabinet had yesterday decided to request Bhardwaj to allow it to promulgate another ordinance on the issue.

Yeddyurappa said Karnataka has 1.51 crore Self Help Groups which recorded a transaction of Rs 1,150 crore last year.

In an attempt to win over vegetable and fruit vendors and autorickshaw drivers, he promised to set up a Rs 500 crore revolving fund to provide them loans at lower interest rates.

He assured farmers that they would be able to avail farm credit at one per cent interest as against three per cent now, from next year. Yeddyurapp told the women that opposition Congress and JDS have been agitating to stall the saree distribution programme but vowed to continue it. "The opposition is intolerant towards my government and have been creating hurdles from day one."

Without naming former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said a JDS leader alleged that he has earned a kickback of Rs 100 per saree purchased. "Each saree costs only Rs 195 and including transport, the cost might go up to Rs 210."

The Chief Minister said a similar charge was levelled when he distributed bicycles to schoolchildren.

Yeddyurappa said a former finance minister had stated that financial management is bad in the BJP government.

"But the planning commission has appreciated our fiscal management,” he said, obviously referring to opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who hails from Mysore.

He reiterated it was the mining lobby that tried to destabilise his government after he tried to end illegal mining. Minister for Women and Child Development C C Patil and Minister for Medical Education A Ramdas were among those present.