Guarantee panels: Opposition withdraws dharna after CM’s assurance

After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured protesting members that he would call a meeting of legislators after the Budget session to look into their problems, the BJP and Janata Dal (S) withdrew their dharna in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday on the issue of releasing honorarium from the State exchequer for Congress workers involved in the implementation of the five guarantee schemes.

After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured protesting members that he would call a meeting of legislators after the Budget session to look into their problems, the BJP and Janata Dal (S) withdrew their dharna in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday on the issue of releasing honorarium from the State exchequer for Congress workers involved in the implementation of the five guarantee schemes.

On Tuesday, the Opposition members had staged a dharna when the State government made a statement that the salaries and sitting fee of Congress functionaries on the panels set up to oversee the guarantee schemes was being paid by the government.

The issue had sparked an uproar, with the Opposition accusing the Congress of using taxpayers money to reward its functionaries.

The Chief Minister told protesting members that he would call a meeting soon after the session to look into their problems. He assured members that no action would be taken to curtail their rights and privileges.

The Opposition demanded scrapping of panels set up by the Congress for ensuring smooth execution of the guarantee schemes.

Before the commencement of the session on Wednesday, BJP and JD (S) members staged a dharna in front of the Kengal Hanumanthaiya statue on the premises of Vidhana Soudha against appointing Congress functionaries to the committees on implementation of the guarantee schemes.

They also petitioned Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, appealing to him to dissolve the guarantee implemention committees, while terming them as illegal.