Bengaluru, May 19 (PTI): Opposition parties Congress and JD(S) have termed as unscientific and meagre the Rs 1,250- crore financial package announced by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to provide relief to those affected by COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Pointing out that it is the people who finance the State's economy, the parties urged the government to utilise the money judiciously for the needy at the time of crisis, while alleging that the package was announced just for the sake of it.

Terming the package as meagre and unscientific, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Siddaramaiah urged the government to provide poor families with 10 kgs of rice each and announce a package by giving Rs 10,000 each to the working class, and implement a 100 per cent lockdown.

The Chief Minister should have learnt lessons from neighbouring States before announcing the package, the Congress leader said in a statement.

The Chief Minister has said it is Rs 1,250 crore package, but the figures show Rs 1,111.82 crore, and in that Rs 494 crore is announced for the construction workers, which is not given by the government, but from the workers' welfare fund created from their own contribution, Siddaramaiah said.

The government has also projected the extension in the date for repayment of instalments of loans availed of by farmers, self-help groups from cooperative banks as a relief, he said.

"If you omit the construction labourer relief and extension in the date of repayment of instalments of loans, the remaining is only Rs 483.44 crore. This is a package which is completely unscientific and is no use to the people," the former Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too termed the package as disappointing, inadequate and unscientific, for a big State like Karnataka that contributes immensely to the country's economy. Noting that the neighbouring Kerala has announced Rs 20,000-crore package, he said in a series of tweets that Kerala is a small State in all aspects compared to Karnataka and asked whether Rs 1,250 crore was enough. Questioning the government as to who is responsible for the dwindling financial situation of the state, Kumaraswamy pointed at some unnecessary expenses like spendings on boards and corporation heads who are BJP workers. "There are about 55 lakh families that come under the working-class they should get a minimum of Rs 10,000, it is not your money, it is the 6 crore people of the State who contribute to fill the State Exchequer, it is their money, use it properly at the time of crisis and fulfill your responsibility," he added. Stating that he has no faith in this government, State Congress president D K Shivakumar said they should give minimum Rs 10,000 to the poor or working-class families in distress. The package has been announced because of mounting pressure, he said as he expressed doubts about the money reaching the needy, while asking the government for an account about money reaching the true beneficiaries from the package announced during the first wave.

Announcing the package, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said it is being done despite the State facing financial constraints, and the government is standing by the people, during this difficult time. "We have done the best we can do, within the current financial limitations, and will consider if anything needs to be done in the future," he added in response to a question. Congress and JD(S) have been urging the State government to provide relief, including financial and food, and go to the rescue of those whose livelihood has been affected by the COVID-19 induced shutdown. The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days "close down" from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24 as the COVID cases continued to spike. With the current lockdown ending early next week, several leaders, including Ministers, have expressed views in favour of extending it to control the spread of COVID.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)