Bengaluru: Along with the implementation of Guarantee Schemes, equal emphasis has been placed on development projects across the State, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Addressing critics, he questioned, “If the Guarantee Schemes had bankrupted the State and there was no money in the Treasury, how could so much development have taken place?” He pointed out that the budget presented last March included a Rs. 38,000 crore increase in planned expenditure.

Speaking at a press conference after reviewing preparations for the upcoming ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ in Hosapete on Friday, the Chief Minister asserted that his Government had delivered on its promises. “All five Guarantees are now being seen as a model for the entire country,” he said.

He added that the Government’s approach treats Guarantee Schemes and development as two sides of the same coin. As proof, he cited the issuance of Title Deeds to one lakh families, fulfilling key electoral promises.

Reiterating his Government’s commitment to regional development, Siddaramaiah said, the Congress Government had implemented Article 371J to support the progress of                                             Kalyana Karnataka.

He accused the BJP, including the Union Government, of not allocating even a single paisa to the region, while the Congress Government had released Rs. 5,000 crore to the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB).

Taking a swipe at the BJP, he said, “When we announced the five Guarantees, BJP leaders — including PM Narendra Modi — claimed such schemes couldn’t be implemented. But later, they promised similar benefits during the Assembly elections in States like Maharashtra and won.”

“Through the Sadhana Samavesha in Hosapete, we are sending a clear message that our Government is delivering both welfare and development.”

He also announced that the Government would soon distribute Title Deeds to over one lakh beneficiaries and criticised the Prime Minister for failing to fulfil his promise of issuing 50,000 Title Deeds in Sedam taluk. “Unlike him, we are actually delivering Title Deeds to over one lakh families,” he remarked.