By IANS,
Bangalore : Sushma Swaraj, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Friday hoped Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would return to power in the elections due three years from now and would rule the state for another decade.
“The BJP will not only complete its first five-year term in Karnataka, but also return to power with a renewed mandate in 2013 to rule for another 10 years or so on the basis of its performance and the development works being undertaken by the Yeddyurappa government,” Swaraj said, inaugurating the ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ (convention of achievements) at the Palace grounds here.
Lauding the Yeddyurappa government for its pro-people programmes undertaken during its first two years in office, the BJP leader said the various development schemes would enable the state to improve the quality of life in the urban and rural areas, uplift the underprivileged, create employment opportunities and make Karnataka the most progressive state in the country.
“The various socio-economic and welfare schemes launched by the state government in diverse sectors such as education, health, agriculture, irrigation, infrastructure and industries will repose people’s faith in the government and the ruling party, as what has been achieved in the last two years was more than what previous governments could not do in 10 years,” she asserted.
Listing out some of the programmes and development schemes initiated by the state government in the last two years, she said Karnataka was the first state in the country to give top priority to women’s education by depositing Rs.1 lakh in the name of every girl child soon after birth to enable her to continue higher education even after 18 years of age.
“Similarly, under the Vajpayee Arogya Yojana (health scheme), rural patients can take treatment at any government hospital in the state to the tune of Rs.2 lakh. Free ambulance service is provided to anyone in the state under the 108 health plan,” Swaraj said.
She also praised the state government for giving Rs.4.50 per litre subsidy to milk producers in the state as it would help the women members in a family to earn sufficient income from dairy activities.
BJP vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu, who represents the state in the Rajya Sabha, and party’s general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar also lauded the Yeddyurappa government for launching various development schemes in the state.