‘No guarantee scheme will be stopped’: CM Shivakumar

BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said the Congress government is committed to protecting the voting rights of all citizens and will ensure that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of guarantee schemes.

Addressing a press conference, he said the government has decided to issue residential certificates to those who require them for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“We have given the right to vote, the right to lead. To protect your right to vote, we have already decided that everyone should be given residential certificates. Those who need a 10-year residential certificate will be given,” he said.

Shivakumar said the state already has 4.5 lakh caste certificates for SC, ST, OBC and minorities, along with income certificates. “We have also made arrangements to provide them online. For those who need residential certificates, we have made arrangements to deliver them free of cost to their doorsteps. Apart from this, we have set up help desks at every booth to help people retain their voting rights,” he said.

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Referring to the state’s guarantee schemes, CM Shivakumar said the government is conducting a verification drive. He pointed out discrepancies found in CAG reports, including multiple accounts linked to a single phone number and money being credited to 5-10 accounts of one person. The government has also received information about people continuing to avail benefits even after death, he said.

“We are verifying all of this. We have also received information about lakhs of people and over Rs 100 crore after death. We will stop that and ask them to provide fresh information,” he said.

Shivakumar added that for Gruha Jyoti and Gruha Lakshmi schemes, beneficiaries will have to submit a renewal application. However, he clarified that no scheme will be stopped.

“For any reason, we will not stop any scheme. We will take steps to provide it to all eligible beneficiaries. Our schemes will continue. In the Siddaramaiah government, whatever decision we have taken together, no program will be stopped. Everything will continue,” he said. “But there were some issues. Our auditors have guided us on that, and we are reviewing it,” he added. (ANI)