Bengaluru, 26 April 2024 – Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah praised the D.K. Shivakumar administration on Thursday, declaring that the state is moving in the right direction as the cabinet marked its 100‑day milestone.
The remarks followed the inauguration of the “Drudha Karnataka Sankalpa – 100 Days of Successful Completion” programme inside the Vidhana Soudha banquet hall. Siddaramaiah stressed that the centenary of governance is not merely a celebration but a chance for the government to lay its performance bare before citizens and verify whether promised duties are being met.
“The government headed by D.K. Shivakumar is progressing on the correct track,” he said, congratulating the chief minister and every cabinet member. He reminded the audience that in a democracy power ultimately belongs to the people, making accountability essential.
Key priorities, according to Siddaramaiah, must include eradicating social inequality, tackling poverty and unemployment, and boosting agricultural output. He highlighted that the Congress has now completed more than three years in power, while Shivakumar’s tenure has reached the 100‑day mark.
A handbook released at the event catalogues achievements across major departments during this period. Siddaramaiah recalled that before taking office on 20 May 2023 the party pledged five guarantee schemes. Critics had warned that financing them would bankrupt Karnataka, yet the government has spent roughly Rs 52,000 crore annually to deliver all five, aiming to narrow inequality and aid the poor.
Referencing the 2013 Congress manifesto, Siddaramaiah claimed the party fulfilled most of its 165 promises, noting it is the only government that has aligned its budget with its election pledge. With more than eighteen months left in the term, he expressed confidence that remaining commitments—social justice, equal opportunity, and empowerment of Dalits, backward classes, minorities, women and workers—will be honoured.
He also urged Shivakumar to ignore opposition attacks, questioning the credibility of BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra by pointing to alleged corruption during the previous BJP rule under B.S. Yediyurappa. While the recent ten‑day assembly session addressed Karnataka’s severe drought, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of failing to raise the issue adequately during its Ballari Chalo padyatra.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News