Mysore: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday announced that his government would draw up a Rs 10,000 crore financing scheme by next week to help "stree shakti" groups.
"Within a week, the government will issue an order to
implement a scheme that will benefit 10 lakh stree shakti
groups by offering financial aid of Rs 10,000 crore," he said
after launching a saree distribution scheme here.
Yeddyurappa's announcement comes in the wake of zilla
and taluk panchayat elections in the state next month.
But an element of uncertainty persists over the polls
as Governor H R Bhardwaj has refused to repeal an ordinance on
reservation of seats to backward classes.
The cabinet had yesterday decided to request Bhardwaj
to allow it to promulgate another ordinance on the issue.
Yeddyurappa said Karnataka has 1.51 crore Self Help
Groups which recorded transaction of Rs 1,150 crore last year.
In an attempt to win over vegetable and fruit vendors
and autorickshaw drivers, he promised to set up a Rs 500 crore
revolving fund to provide them loans at lower interest rates.
He assured farmers that they would be able to avail
farm credit at one per cent interest as against three per cent
now, from next year.
Yeddyurappa told women that Opposition parties have
been agitating to stall the saree distribution programme. "The
opposition is intolerant towards my government and have been
creating hurdles from day one".
Without naming former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy,
he said a JDS leader alleged that he has earned a kickback of
Rs 100 per saree purchased. "Each saree costs only Rs 195 and
including transport, the cost might go up to Rs 210".
The Chief Minister said a similar charge was levelled
when he distributed bicycles to schoolchildren.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 13, 2010, 20:51