No afterthought on guarantees, clarifies Dinesh Gundu Rao
Rejecting the claims of the Opposition BJP and JD(S) that the guarantee schemes will soon be discontinued by the Congress government over fiscal constraints unable to mobilise resources, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday rubbished the claims and said there cannot be an afterthought on the schemes since they had been launched with a purpose.
“It’s not like suspending the schemes after an election. There may have been some suggestions from our MLAs on the schemes but we need to see their impact on society at least for two to three years before any changes are made to the format of the schemes. They need to be studied in detail and if at all there is a need, some changes can be brought. But, now the guarantee schemes are being continued,” he told reporters in Mysuru.
Rubbishing the BJP’s charges that the government was going bankrupt and therefore hiked the taxes on the petrol and diesel, he said the government has to look for resources for running its programmes. A sum of ₹50,000-₹60,000 crore was being spent annually on the guarantees. When there is an expenditure, it is obvious for it to look for revenue. Moreover, the petrol and diesel prices, when compared to other States, including South Indian States and also Maharashtra, was less in Karnataka, he argued.
To a question, the Minister said the guarantees are not a burden but a commitment for bringing societal change and women empowerment.
Replying to questions on the unceasing cases of female foeticide reported despite the crackdown, Mr. Gundu Rao said he has convened a meeting in Bengaluru to discuss on whether the existing laws for curbing female foeticide can be made even more stricter. He, however, said the cases are coming to light because of the continuous crackdown by the department. Nevertheless, the meeting with experts drawn from the law and police will discuss stringent actions on the issue.
He said the department was cooperating with the agencies, including the police, on taking action in cases of female foeticide. The crackdown on the scanning centres is on and the department was working closely with NGOs for curbing the menace.
Mr. Gundu Rao, who was in Mysuru in connection with World Sickle Cell Day, said the government has launched ‘Project Chandana’ to screen the tribals in Mysuru, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar districts for sickle cell disease in a bid to eliminate the disease.
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