Vijayanagara (Karnataka), May 20 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared on Tuesday that his party wants Karnataka to be the first state in the country where every landowner has official records.

He was addressing a massive gathering at the ‘Sadhana Samavesha,’ organised at Hospet town in Vijayanagara district to mark the completion of two years in office of the Congress-led government in Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi said, “I appeal to the Congress party’s state and district committees to ensure that all landowners who are living without recognised land rights are given property deeds.”

“Every family should have its land records. We want Karnataka to be the first state where everyone who owns land also has proper documentation,” he reiterated.

Marking the occasion, one lakh families are being provided with land ownership documents, he said.

Gandhi further said this was a dream of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“We have taken a big step. Two thousand habitations have been declared as revenue villages. I have insisted on providing digital records of land ownership,” he added.

He pointed out that poor families often struggle for years without receiving land ownership records. “In the 21st century, we need a digital registry. People will have a physical copy of their land records and can also access digital copies whenever needed. This initiative will benefit poor communities such as Adivasis, Dalits, and Other Backward Classes,” he emphasised.

“I have come to know that another 50,000 families in Karnataka still don’t have land records. We want to ensure that within six months, they, too, receive proper documentation. Already, 2,000 habitations have been declared revenue villages, and soon, 500 more will be added,” Rahul Gandhi announced.

“There should be no one left without land records in Karnataka,” he affirmed.

He further recalled, “When we were discussing the five guarantees, another issue came to light — lakhs of people are lacking land ownership. Dalit and Adivasi villages were not recognised as revenue villages. These people have lived on their land for generations, but lacked ownership documents. This included people of all castes and religions.”

“I raised the issue with Congress leaders and told them that in Karnataka, anyone who owns land should have proper ownership records. Today, I am happy to say that we have delivered the sixth guarantee,” he announced.

Rahul Gandhi noted that the Congress government in Karnataka has completed two years in power. “We made five major promises during the election. The BJP and the Prime Minister claimed these guarantees were impossible to implement,” he said.

“The first guarantee, Gruha Lakshmi, provides Rs 2,000 every month to women who are heads of families. I am happy to share that the Karnataka government is depositing money directly into the accounts of crores of women,” he said.

“Crores of households are receiving 200 units of free electricity under Gruha Jyothi. Under the Anna Bhagya scheme, four crore people are receiving 10 kilograms of rice each. Under Shakti, the free bus travel scheme for women, the Karnataka government has enabled 500 crore free journeys. Under Yuva Nidhi, the fifth guarantee, three lakh unemployed youth are receiving Rs 3,000 each. We promised that we would deposit money into the bank accounts of the poor, and today, thousands of crores have been transferred,” he said.

“This money is being used for children’s education and health care. We want your money to go directly into your accounts. The BJP wants to give money to a select few. We want Karnataka’s poor, OBCs, and Adivasis to receive the benefits,” he said.

“When we put money in your hands, you spend it in the market. This increases production and drives economic activity at the village level. It strengthens Karnataka’s economy,” Rahul Gandhi stated.

“The BJP helps billionaires get richer. These billionaires won’t spend money in villages — they own properties in London and New York. Under the BJP model, your money ends up with a few people,” he said.

“The BJP model eliminates jobs. Our model creates employment. If you fall sick, the BJP model will push you into debt, while ours provides financial support. The BJP gives lakhs of crores to private universities, forcing lakhs of families to take loans. Our model puts money in people’s hands,” Rahul Gandhi concluded.

–IANS

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