Kalaburgi
There is no point in carving on one side and cushioning on the other. Former Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that increasing the prices of essential commodities does not mean that they are politically intelligent.
Speaking to media persons, he said that the price hike has been done to fulfil the pre-poll promise. The funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are being used for guarantees. Of the Rs 34,000 crore earmarked for SCs and STs by various departments, including the social welfare department, Rs 11,150 crore has been utilised for guarantees, he said.Cm Siddaramaiah, who talks about social justice and SC-ST interests, should answer this. He demanded that the utilisation of reservation money be released from the treasury. Guarantee schemes do not last long. There is no guarantee that there will be guarantees till the Lok Sabha elections, he said.
