Reiterating his government’s commitment to strengthen social security programmes, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced that he would increase the pension for the elderly from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 and for disabled persons from ₹1,400 to ₹2,500 from next year.
He was addressing a public meeting as part of his Janata Darshan and Grama Vaastavya programmes here on Wednesday.
“We are committed to strengthening the social security programmes meant for weaker sections of the society,” he said.
Commenting on the allegations that the government had sacrificed development works for diverting funds to the loan waiver scheme, the Chief Minister said there was no dearth of funds for development projects.
“The BJP is saying that I have sacrificed the State’s development to meet my pre-poll promise of loan waiver. It is absolutely false. Development is perfectly on track and we will also fulfil our loan waiver promise. We have already waived farm loans worth ₹25,000 crore in just one year, which includes ₹272.22 crore in Raichur district,” he said.
The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for various projects to be taken up in the district at a cost of ₹8,144.99 crore. He also distributed debt-free certificates to farmers whose loans were waived under the loan waiver scheme as well as 22 tricycles worth ₹15 lakh to persons with disabilities.
Mr. Kumaraswamy’s Janata Darshan began at 2.30 p.m., about four hours behind schedule. He, however, sat on the stage and patiently heard the grievances of thousands of people one by one till late at night.
A few employees from the audience drew the Chief Minister’s attention to the New Pension Scheme. The Chief Minister said a committee has been formed to look into the matter and he would take an appropriate decision after receiving its report.
Demands submitted
Minister for Animal Husbandry & Fisheries and Raichur district in charge Venkatarao Nadagouda said that 61 demands, excluding the individual ones, concerning the development of the district have been submitted to the Chief Minister. Besides, over 2,000 individual applications were received by him.
