Karnataka is in a complete mess. While the unemployed are taking to the streets in Dharwad, tearing the pictures of CM Siddaramaiah & Deputy CM DK Shivakumar in full public glare, contractors in the state are writing to the CM, accusing the Siddaramaiah government of promoting rampant corruption. This is when the chief minister is busy releasing funds for the conduct of Rahul Gandhi’s pet project of caste census in the state.
While Congress leadership in Delhi often keep on clamouring on the issue of unemployment, they hardly say a word when the unemployed take to the streets in Congress-ruled states. Karnataka’s Dharwad district, a little less than five hundred kilometres away from the capital, Bangalore, has come to a standstill these days. Reason: the ongoing agitation of the youths.
Job aspirants, students and youth under the aegis of All-Karnataka State Students’ Association in large numbers are hitting the streets of Dharwad, urging the government to fill up vacancies in its various departments and relax the age limit for applying to these posts. Such is their resentment against the state government that these youths are even tearing the pictures of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.
One of the protesters, Arun B, accused the state government of doing little for the unemployed. He argued that he has been living in Dharwad, spending nearly ten thousand a month, hoping to get a job. Referring to the plight of his parents, Arun asserts that his poor parents keep sending him money in the hope that he will get a job one day. He said the family pressure is turning into a burden for him and he now stands at a crossroads.
Interestingly, while Priyanka Vadra will not stop for a moment to express her view on X over a dharna staged in Uttarakhand by unemployed but she will not spare a word of concern for these youths in the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka.
While the youth suffer, the rampant corruption in governance in Karnataka is taking a toll on others. The Karnataka State Contractors Association has openly admitted in writing that corruption in several departments today is doubled when compared to the previous BJP government.
The letter addressed to the Chief Minister, which is signed by Karnataka State Contractors Association’s president R Manjunath and general secretary G M Ravindra categorically tells the CM that he had assured them on coming to power no commission would be sought from them for clearing pending bills. “But on the contrary, the commission has doubled when compared to the previous government”, the letter said.
The association lamented that bills worth Rs 32,000 crore are with various departments and are yet to be cleared. It charged the chief minister Siddaramaiah of just doing lip service and not directing officials to act promptly.
The Vijaypur and Kalayan Karnataka districts of the state are facing the challenge of rains. Large scale destruction has taken place in low lying areas and the relief is yet to come to the affected.
While Karnataka is in disarray, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has put in his entire resources and energy into conducting of the caste census. He had already released the first instalment of the Rs 420 crore exercise. He has even set a deadline for the enumerators.
