Bengaluru, Sep 10 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday hailed the Congress as a force that has transformed India and strengthened democracy, and exuded confidence that the ruling party in Karnataka will emerge victorious in the 2028 Assembly polls as well.
He said his government would build on the state’s welfare legacy while pursuing a development-led future.
Addressing an event at Vidhana Soudha marking 100 days in office, the chief minister said the government belonged to the seven crore people of Karnataka.
He outlined a broad vision covering welfare, jobs, irrigation, infrastructure, education, healthcare, investment and regional development.
The event, titled “Dhruda Karnataka Sankalpa–Shatakada Patha, Pragatiya Ratha” (Resolve for a Strong Karnataka –Path of a Century, Chariot of Progress) was inaugurated by Shivakumar’s predecessor and Congress veteran Siddaramaiah.
“I often say that the strength of Congress is the strength of this country, the history of Congress is the history of this country. Whenever a Congress government comes to power, it brings programmes that have transformed the country– from strengthening democracy to giving the nation its flag, Constitution and national anthem, and from land reforms to welfare schemes, housing sites and programmes for electricity,” Shivakumar said.
“We will come to power again in 2028 election,” in the state, he added.
The CM said the Congress government’s five guarantee programmes had resulted in Rs 1,45,413 crore being directly delivered to people and described them as one of the world’s largest social security programmes.
Under Gruha Lakshmi guarantee, 1.24 crore women have received Rs 2,000 every month, while Gruha Jyothi has provided free electricity worth Rs 30,522 crore to 1.67 crore households, he said.
Anna Bhagya (subsidized food security to BPL and Antyodaya (AAY) ration cardholders) has benefited nearly four crore people with Rs 21,054 crore spent, while the Shakti scheme had recorded about 15.73 crore free bus trips to Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses.
The government had also decided to issue cards to women passengers using free travel so their usage could be tracked, he said, adding that the guarantees could not be stopped.
On youth, Shivakumar said Yuvanidhi financial assistane had benefited 3.72 lakh graduates and diploma holders with Rs 1,154 crore being disbursed. He also announced programmes for self-employment for 50,000 youth from backward classes, minorities and SC/ST communities, high-level skill centres for minority youth and the Udyoga Sethu platform to connect private employers with job-seeking students.
The government would provide self-employment to 50,000 youth from Dalit, tribal, backward-class and minority communities within two years and establish training centres for entrepreneurship and skill development for minority youth.
Under Udyoga Nidhi, the government would provide Rs 2,500 per job to those creating private-sector employment in rural areas outside Bengaluru. Yuva Udyoga Setu would establish job exchange centres to connect job seekers with vacant private-sector positions and provide training based on industry requirements.
The CM said the government had transferred Rs 1,41,510 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer, provided Rs 42,018 crore for SC/ST welfare and Rs 25,652 crore to farmers through zero and low-interest loans. It had undertaken irrigation projects worth Rs 17,073 crore, built 70,475 km of roads and allocated Rs 5,000 crore through the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board.
For farmers, he announced the Negila Yogi scheme. Under Tegada Siri, teak saplings will be planted along roadsides and Gramanubhava scheme will provide urban students an opportunity to experience rural life.
The chief minister said Gruha Arogya scheme had screened 88 lakh people door-to-door and Hridaya Jyothi programme had detected 21,659 suspected heart-attack cases in time. Nutritious food, including eggs, was being provided to children for six days with Wipro Foundation support.
He said Karnataka was second in the country in attracting FDI and was looking at creating more than six lakh jobs.
About Rs 43,000 crore of investments had been approved in 100 days (since Shivakumar was elevated as CM and his cabinet taking over), while industrial clusters in Ballari and Doddaballapura, along with worker housing near factories, were being promoted.
He announced special accelerator package for investments in backward taluks, Shramika Nivas scheme to construct worker housing, 1,000 Karnataka Public Schools, mobilising CSR and World Bank funds, introduce AI education from Class 6 and establish an AI university.
Regarding the state capital Bengaluru, he said Rs 2,000 crore had been allocated for roads and a new five-part police structure was being planned with additional personnel, separate squads at police stations and a “zero-tolerance, fear-free Karnataka” approach.
He said the government had resolved the Tungabhadra dam gate issue and was pursuing Mekedatu balancing reservoir project on Cauvery river, with the DPR submitted to the Centre.
Once permission was received, he said, “this government has resolved to perform the Bhoomi Puja for the project within a month.” Shivakumar also flagged the Mahadayi water issue and said a future struggle might be necessary.
The government would distribute five lakh sites to rural SC/ST families this year, launch a pilot scheme to help small farmers plough their land at nominal cost under Negila Yogi scheme, and introduce a three-day rural experience programme for urban students under Gramanubhava scheme, he said.
Shivakumar said 10,000 youth organisations would be created across 6,000 gram panchayats and 4,000 wards under Bharat Jodo, with Rs 1,000 crore allocated and Rs 10 lakh for each organisation.
He also announced Praja Seva to take government services to people’s doorsteps and Bhoomi Guarantee to provide Khatas (land account) for 26 lakh Bengaluru properties and records for about 1.11 crore families across the state without proper property documents.
Bhoomi Guarantee scheme will provide land records to people lacking proper property documents in the state, he said.
Shivakumar announced creating a Global Investors and NRI Department, a tourism policy for coastal and Malnad regions.
Under the Beyond Bengaluru initiative, the government is framing Coastal and Malnad tourism policies and plans to establish five global technology centres in second-tier cities, he added.
Shivakumar set a goal of transforming Karnataka from a USD one trillion to USD three trillion economy by 2037, while targeting zero poverty and zero school dropouts and creating five more Lalbaghs in Bengaluru.
“I don’t believe in reading or writing history. I believe in creating history,” he said, calling for a united effort by ministers, legislators, MPs and officials as “Team Karnataka”.
“I am not merely D K Shivakumar, the Chief Minister. I am your ‘Praja Sevaka’ (public servant),” he said, pledging “lawful, clean and corruption-free administration” and urging the Opposition to cooperate on issues such as farmers, drought and the Kasturirangan report. PTI GMS SA
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