Indira Canteens launched to deal with urban hunger: CM Siddaramaiah at SOS Karnataka

Media Friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Evening!

I am delighted to be present at THE STATE OF THE STATE CONCLAVE in Bengaluru today. I specially congratulate the India Today Group for hostingthis prestigious conclave in our State. With its progressive and enterprising ethos, Karnataka is the natural destination for ideas, innovation and impact.

Over the past four and a half years, the state has achieved national excellence across key sectors, while also ensuring that every hitherto excluded person becomes an empowered shareholder in Karnataka's development story. Our development philosophy in Karnataka is greatly shaped by the teachings of Basaveshwara, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. The ideals of Kayaka and Dasoha, propounded by Basavanna, have deeply influenced our style of governance, as we continue to walk in his path towards an equitable and casteless society.

Babasaheb believed that we cannot have political democracy unless we have social and economic democracy. In his commitment to social justice, we find our own intellectual strength. The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi championed Gram Swaraj, inspiring our journey towards true decentralisation of power and empowerment of villages. While their integrated wisdom has guided our development agenda in the State, I have often borrowed from my own learnings and life experiences in the formulation of schemes.

During my formative years, I have seen hunger and suffering; poor access to education, healthcare and nutrition, and the shackles of low income and unemployment. I have grown up seeing the results of unequal access to resources and life opportunities. These experiences have defined my politics, shaped my personality and my vision for Karnataka, and they continue to guide me each time I sit to draft the State Budget.

It has been my personal belief that the best of growth targets are achieved not in the data charts of experts, but in the hearts of people. In Karnataka, what guides our policies is this belief - that the impact of development should truly reflect in the lives of people.

While on the one hand our Government is battling hunger and inequity on a war footing through a range of targeted schemes, we are also incentivizing ideas, innovation and enterprise among the youth. This is the new Karnataka Model of Development, where we balance investment in human capital, with investment in infrastructure; where we pursue inclusion and innovation, empowerment and decentralisation with equal vigour. Here, we place each citizen at the centre of our governance model. We believe, it is only in empowering all our citizens that Karnataka truly moves ahead, to its rightful place as a national leader.

Since 2013, our Government has been committed to build a Karnataka free of hunger and undernourishment. Within the first hour of coming to power, we announced the Anna Bhagya Scheme. This scheme today provides 7 kg rice or wheat per person per month free of cost. Over 4 crore citizens benefit from this scheme.

Towards better early nourishment, our Government is providing milk 5 days a week to over 1 crore children under Ksheera Bhagya, and eggs twice a week to Anganwadi children. Come October 2nd this year, the Mathrupoorna Scheme will be launched to provide hot nutritious meals to over 12 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers at Anganwadis across Karnataka. Along with nutritional supplements, counselling, and other maternity benefits, this scheme forms a key component in the life cycle approach to nutritional health.

To battle the menace of urban hunger, our Government recently launched Indira Canteens in 198 wards of Bengaluru, offering affordable, hygienic and nutritious meals three times a day. This ambitious project will now be replicated across every district headquarter and every taluk of the State.

True to Ambedkar's ideals, the Government of Karnataka views development as empowerment. Since poverty is intimately linked to social deprivation, we know it cannot be eradicated by economic measures alone.

Towards this, we promulgated the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan Act-in 2013, making Karnataka the second and one of only two States in the country to do so. This Act legislatively mandates the compulsory earmarking of 24.1 percent of all development resources for the development and welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. During the period from 2013-14 to 2016-17, an amount of Rs. 60,350 Crore has been earmarked under this Act.

Empowerment, we know, is not possible without providing people opportunities and preparing them to make use of those opportunities, through adequate investment in education and healthcare. It has been our motto to provide quality education to all students without any discrimination. Besides mid-day meals with milk to 60 lakh students across Karnataka, our government has been providing free textbooks, uniforms and shoes to all students.

We also provide bicycles to students of class 8. This year we have decided to provide free laptops to 1.5 lakh deserving degree students, to enable better information access. Under our flagship Vidyasiri, we are giving an incentive to over 2.7 lakh students, who do not find hostel accommodation, to cover their boarding expenses and ensure better access to educational facilities.

Globally renowned for a talented and skilled workforce, Karnataka in the last four years has been heralding a Skill Revolution. We have created a separate Department for Skill Development; established 100 new ITIs; and launched Kaushalya Karnataka with an aim to provide demand driven and market oriented skills training to 5 lakh youth each year.

Fulfilling our commitment of Health for All, our Government recently announced Universal Health Coverage, making Karnataka the first state in the country to do so. A comprehensive Arogya Bhagya Scheme will be rolled out in November this year, slated to benefit all 1.4 crore households in the state, with priority households to avail benefits free of cost.

With a vision of dignified living for all citizens, we have built 12 lakh houses for the poor; we have also promulgated the historic Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance to convert over 50,000 habitations into revenue villages and grant ownership rights to the residents.

While on the one hand Karnataka has made significant strides across key development sectors; over the past four years, our vibrant industrial ecosystem has also scripted several firsts. Despite a slowdown nationally, Karnataka's industry friendly policies ensure that the state leads the country in industrial investment.

In the last 18 months, we have received investment proposals worth Rs. 1,54,173 crores. Over the past four years, Karnataka has created over 15 lakh jobs, bringing the state's unemployment rate to 2 per cent, compared to the national average of 3.7 per cent. According to a recent ASSOCHAM report, Karnataka tops the country in Manufacturing Excellence, with 32 percent of the manufacturing sector's share in investments being attracted by Karnataka.

Since innovation is integral to the ethos of this land, our Government has been committed to harness the spirit and enterprise of young Karnataka, through a host of policy initiatives. Home to 30 per cent of India's start-ups, Karnataka is the first state to launch a Multi Sector Start Up policy; a policy for animations and visual effects and a policy for electric vehicle manufacturing.

In another first, our Government recently launched the Elevate 100 programme, whereby 100 top innovations were chosen to receive Government funding and support. We are also the first State to have an industrial park dedicated solely for women. Our progressive policies have gained us the distinction of being the Most Supportive State Government for encouraging entrepreneurship among women.

Adaptability to the growing technology driven global economy is a key differentiator among emerging cities today. Renowned for its skilled workforce, competitive start-up eco-system and cosmopolitan culture, it came as no surprise when Namma Bengaluru was adjudged the most Dynamic City in the world.

Bengaluru also found a place among the world's top 25 hi-tech cities. These distinctions are testament to the State's dynamic eco-system, supported ably by our Government's policies. Karnataka has long been a pioneer in harnessing technology and transforming governance.

Our Government was the first in the country to introduce online trading in agro-markets and adopt a Unified Market Platform; enabling farmers in Karnataka to realize 38 per cent more income for their produce. The Government of India has now recommended that all States adopt Karnataka's model.

Karnataka was also the first state to transfer input subsidies through an online platform called Parihara, whereby Rs. 1459.1 crore has been directly transferred to Aadhar-linked bank accounts of 21.90 lakh farmers.

Karnataka has also been a pioneer in taking digital technologies to rural areas. The flagship Bhoomi made digital land records available to villages more than a decade ago. Now, we are leading the digital push to Panchayats through provision of WiFi, with 2500 Gram Panchayats across the state set to be digitally connected to the world.

Our Government has also won consecutive e-Puraskar awards for the best performance in e-empowering Panchayats. The range of our e-governance platforms are not only testament to the technological drive of the people, but also a reflection of the growth story and progressive development of the State.

When our Government came to power in May 2013, we made a promise to serve the people of Karnataka. That day, I also made a promise to myself - to abide by all promises made to our people. I have always believed that Rajadharma dictates we stand by our public assurances.

Of the 165 promises made in our Election Manifesto 2013, we have fulfilled over 155 so far, and are committed to implement the rest. While the Manifesto guides our journey, it is the people of Karnataka who give us the strength to walk the distance. I look to them to guide us on our collective journey to Build a New Karnataka.

I have always dreamt of a Karnataka free of hunger, homelessness and disparity. Today, I am happy to note that our Government has been dedicatedly building this New Karnataka on the principles of equity, opportunity and social justice. Taking this commitment further, only last evening, we launched a unique participative and consultative vision building exercise - Nava Karnataka 2025.

As part of this process, the Government will go to every district across the state, hold public consultations, meetings with experts and all stakeholders - in order to collectively draft a comprehensive Vision Document. This Document will reflect the cumulative and collective aspirations of the people of Karnataka. We invite all your ideas and opinions as we embark on this exciting journey.

While we continue to build this new Karnataka for all our citizens, we also commit to foster the progressive ethos of our great land, and reassert the secular ideals that define us as a people.

In July this year, Karnataka was proud to host The B R Ambedkar International Conference 2017, and launch a historic people's blueprint - The Bengaluru Declaration - framed as an alliance of progressive forces to safeguard the very idea of India.

I believe the time today is ripe for us to recognise the Constitutional path we chose 70 years ago, and rededicate ourselves to our inclusive national legacy. It is only fitting that Basavanna's Karnataka lead the path towards an equitable, progressive and socially just India.