Belagavi, 4 Oct

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said his goal is to set up a government hospital and a medical college in every district of the State, after inaugurating a Super Speciality Hospital building in Belagavi.

“All those who come to government hospitals are poor and middle-class people. To provide the best healthcare services even to them, my goal is to construct one government medical college and one multi-speciality hospital in every district,” said Siddaramaiah.

He stressed that merely constructing a hospital building is not enough, and appointing doctors is equally important.

In this regard, he said, "We will also appoint specialist doctors accordingly. We have decided to fill the vacant posts."

He also laid the foundation stones for several development projects, including doctors’ residential quarters, a new city bus terminal under the Smart City scheme. He said 100 electric busses would soon ply Belagavi.

NDRF funds not used for guarantees

Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to mislead people over the Congress government's five guarantee schemes with false charges.

He was replying to the allegations raised by some BJP leaders that the State government was using the National Disaster Response Funds (NDRF) for the guarantees, due to which the flood relief works were affected.

"We never used NDRF on our guarantees. For the BJP, the five guarantees have become like jaundice. They are restless because of our guarantees. They are even copying our scheme in Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana," Siddaramaiah said.

Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "He had said that guarantees cannot be implemented. Didn't we do it? We will fulfill what we have promised."

Leadership row

Hitting back at rumours about a change in Chief Ministers, Siddaramaiah said, "Why is BJP so worried about our party? Why should they break their heads on the internal matters of our party? Who are they? Are they our High Command?"