Udupi: The Congress government’s Pancha Guarantee Scheme has significantly helped poor families earn a living and boosted citizens’ purchasing power, said former minister and KPCC campaign committee president Vinay Kumar Sorake.
Addressing a press conference in Udupi, Sorake noted that out of the ₹4.9 lakh crore state budget, ₹1 lakh crore is directly transferred to people through various schemes, including the guarantee initiatives. This, he said, has not only increased purchasing power but also contributed to Karnataka achieving the highest per capita income in the country for 2024–25.
He criticised the BJP for earlier claiming the scheme would bankrupt the state or make citizens “lazy,” pointing out that similar welfare measures are now being implemented in BJP-ruled states as well.
Udupi Taluk Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee president Ramesh Kanchan, Kaup Taluk president Naveen Chandra Suvarna, and Kaup Block Congress president Y. Sukumar were present at the briefing.