From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jan 5: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has lambasted former BJP chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Centre’s failure to release Rs 18,177 crore repeatedly demanded by the Congress government for the drought relief works and wanted the BJP leader to clarify whether Narendra Modi regime is in ‘dire financial situation’ for not releasing the money due to Karnataka even after three months.
Taking Bommai to task for stating before the media that the State Government’s mismanagement of finances was the reason for Centre’s not release of funds for drought relief, Siddaramaiah said the former must have mentioned Modi regime’s financial mismanagement for the current situation.
In a detailed tweet in the social media rebutting Bommai’s criticism of the Congress government, the Chief Minister said Karnataka has been demanding Rs 18,177 crore as drought relief funds since the last 3 months and the Modi regime has not released even a single paise so far.
“We have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and have been repeatedly writing to the Centre. Even a Central study team has toured the State and submitted its report. But nothing has happened,’’ he said criticising the BJP for playing politics with the lives of people and farmers.
He said the BJP leaders went on their own study tour of the drought situation and nothing has happened. “Why this political tamasha? Is it because of Modi regime’s hate politics or the fiscal position of the Centre,’’ he asked.
Siddaramaiah said Bommai and other BJP leaders owe a reply to the people of Karnataka why their own Modi government has not released a single paise even after 3 months and now the summer has started after the end of monsoon.
“The State Government is doing its best to help the farmers by releasing a special grant of Rs 2,000 each from its meagre resources as farmers have been suffering since the last 6 months,’’ he said attacking the BJP and Modi of being ‘heartless and playing politics over the drought relief’.
The Chief Minister said the Modi regime has been adopting a discriminatory policy even in the devolution of funds despite Karnataka being the second top State in GST collection among all States in the country.
Siddaramaiah claimed that the Modi regime ‘should have released Rs 29,110 crore for local body governments, disaster management and health sectors for the years 2021-22 to 2023-24. But it has release barely Rs 11,449 crore. This is gross injustice’.
Both Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa, who had mismanaged the State finances and indulged in rampant corruption, ‘did not have the guts to raise their voice against the Centre,’’ Siddaramaiah said and claimed that the Congress government had to clear hundreds of crores in pending bills left over by Bommai and Yediyurappa’.
In a strong indictment against the Modi government, the Chief Minister said: “For every rupee in taxes paid by Kannadigas, the Centre is releasing barely 15 paise for the State’s development.’’
“Even though 6 months have been completed after the start of the financial year, the Modi government had not released funds for 23 out of the 61 centrally sponsored schemes. Bommai and Yediyurappa, who ruled the State for 4 years, did not have the courage to raise their voice against the Centre,’’ he said and ridiculed Bommai that he was ‘making wild and false allegations to prove his existence’.