Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy strongly condemns the ₹2,000 guarantee scheme adopted by the state government, explaining that providing financial assistance could not be a real development vehicle for the masses, particularly the poor and marginalised groups. Kumaraswamy, speaking at a temple renovation event in Uddanahosahalli village,
Holenarasipura taluk, where the scheme was launched, dismissed the proposal, saying a monthly amount of ₹2,000 cannot sustain basic needs like health, education, and household necessities. ‘Small monetary benefits,’ he warned women and beneficiaries, ‘that do not bring long-term economic stability’.
“Can ₹2,000 make a family cope with serious medical emergencies or higher living expenses?” he asked, drawing attention to the rising financial strain on average citizens. The government's spending is heavily on bank loans for such schemes, according to him, and is putting extra financial strain on the public.
With a bitter jab at the ruling Indian National Congress, Kumaraswamy called it out for mismanaging state finances. He asserted that while the government does deliver these benefits in the form of financial guarantees, on the opposite side, it compensates by raising prices of essential commodities and taxes. As he has said, this method is evident in the recent increases in electricity tariffs and liquor prices.
Kumaraswamy had said there was a chance of him being in charge so that he could guarantee better welfare measures and a more stable government structure. “Give me power once, and I will set up ‘Ram Rajya’ in Karnataka,” he assured, as an instance of an ‘ideal’ and just administration. He would also offer ₹5,000 instead of ₹2,000 if his party gets to power, he said.
The Union Minister further put it that the state is suffering from the worst financial crunch in the country, not only paying wages to all personnel of the government. He cited reports of delayed salary payments and mentioned similar problems in Congress-ruled states like Himachal Pradesh as proof of financial instability.
Kumaraswamy also highlighted escalating debt in the state, saying that Karnataka has borrowed more than ₹7.26 lakh crore. These are practically debts of over ₹1 lakh on every citizen, he concluded. “Who is to blame for this debt, and who will pay it back?” he wondered, warning that if the borrowing was unchecked, it could lead to the state’s decline.
He said the government is taxing several people and that it sees itself as pro-poor through welfare. “They hand over ₹2,000 at one side and collect the same through taxes at the other,” he wrote, insisting that inflation is making things harder and harder for the common citizen due to increased prices. Calls on voters to make informed decisions, Kumaraswamy implored the public to support honest and capable leaders for the next elections.
He said voters should favour governance and development above caste politics. He said he took a lead in education, healthcare and electricity (as evident through his transparent hiring of thousands of teachers), and he attributed his improvements to his own tenure. The comments are made on the heels of political discussions in Karnataka concerning welfare schemes, public purse administration, governance and so on, which are also setting the stage for a much fiercer contest in years to come.
