Freebies are as good as they’re dangerous, says Cong MLA R V Deshpande

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Nov 3, 2024: A day after Congress president Mallikajrun Kharge pulled up Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the party’s senior lawmaker RV Deshpande on Friday argued in favour of reviewing the ‘guarantee’ schemes, which he said are being misused “in some places".

On Thursday, Kharge reprimanded Shivakumar for suggesting that the popular Shakti scheme of free bus travel - one of the five guarantees - hould be reviewed as some women want to pay for their tickets.

Deshpande, who heads the administrative reforms commission, backed Shivakumar. “He said it with good intent,” he said.

"The guarantees will require Rs 65,000 crore every year. They’re good programmes, but we see that they’re being misused in some places," Deshpande said. "With (Shakti), for example, some women are travelling to the same places repeatedly. Giving things free of cost...it’s as good as it’s dangerous," he said.

Deshpande, the senior-most lawmaker having won nine times, said Shivakumar was right about the Shakti scheme. “We need to have transparency. There must be benefits only to the extent that one deserves. Steps in that direction aren’t wrong, according to me,” Deshpande said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar have clarified that there is no proposal to review any ’guarantee’ scheme, including Shakti.