Bengaluru/Vijayanagara, 26 Nov

Karnataka Congress MLA HR Gaviyappa on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop some poll guarantees, citing lack of funds, which drew sharp response from Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

The ruling party MLA from Vijayanagara suggested that the election guarantees have made it difficult to provide houses to the poor in the State. “Because of guarantee schemes, there is difficulty in providing houses to poor. We are also asking the Chief Minister to drop two or three schemes, which are not needed. Let’s see what the Chief Minister says,” Gaviyappa said in a public meeting in Vijayanagara.

He, however, maintained that he would stand by the decision taken by the Chief Minister. According to the Congress MLA, the CM raised Rs 40,000 crore this year keeping development in mind.

The legislator's statement irked Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar. “This is Congress party. I am going to issue him a showcause notice. He can’t do that. No question of closing any guarantee. We have committed to the people of Karnataka. No one can raise their voice (against the guarantees),” the Deputy CM, who is also the Congress state president told media in Bengaluru.

He said a Congress MLA cannot speak against the guarantees. Those who are ineligible will not get the benefit, Shivakumar said adding the same policy has been adopted in the recent revision of BPL cards.

The Karnataka government has decided to remove the government employees and income tax payees from the list of BPL card holders as per the Central government norms.