Infrastructure demands included allocation of funds in the Budget for the Navali parallel reservoir and urgent execution of the project.— Image By Arrangement

Ballari: BJP on Thursday made the alleged Rs 187-crore Valmiki Corporation scam a central point of its 16-point resolution adopted at the conclusion of the ‘Ballari Chalo’ padayatra, seeking return of the money to the corporation and punishment for all those responsible, including the Congress high command.

The resolution focused heavily on farmers and the drought situation, calling for immediate relief to affected farmers, identification of drought-hit taluks based on ground reality and effective drought management. It sought a complete waiver of agricultural loans of up to Rs 5 lakh and at least 10 hours of three-phase power supply a day to enable farmers to operate borewells.

On welfare and social justice, the BJP sought a white paper on the alleged misuse of funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the SCSP and TSP. It also called for immediate release of old-age, Sandhya Suraksha and disability pensions and restoration of the milk incentive, including payment of pending dues to farmers and milk producers.

The party sought an investigation into what it described as a Rs 5,000-crore scam in the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and action against those allegedly behind it. For backward and most-backward communities, it sought Rs 2,000 crore for development corporations, alleging that welfare programmes had remained stalled for three years due to lack of funds. It pointed out that Rs 780 crore had been released to these corporations during BS Yediyurappa’s tenure, while the present government had released only negligible amounts.

Jobs and recruitment formed another major part of the resolution. The BJP sought immediate steps to create employment and the start of the process to fill 2.5 lakh vacant government posts. On the Karnataka Public Service Commission, it called for an expedited investigation into alleged irregularities and punishment for those found guilty, besides reforms on the lines of the UPSC to ensure permanent and transparent functioning.

Infrastructure demands included allocation of funds in the Budget for the Navali parallel reservoir and urgent execution of the project. The party also sought Rs 200 crore through the Public Works Department for repairing and rebuilding badly damaged roads in every Assembly constituency.

For North Karnataka, the BJP sought a special-priority development plan to address the region’s pressing issues on an urgent basis. It also opposed the cancellation of BPL cards, alleging that poor people were being deprived of food security on flimsy grounds, and called for immediate withdrawal of what it termed an “unscientific” order.

The resolution also called for firm action to eradicate the drug mafia and work towards an “addiction-free Karnataka”, alleging that drugs were destroying the lives of young people.

The BJP also called for immediate elections to gram panchayats, taluk panchayats, zilla panchayats and urban local bodies.

Tags: