Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Dec 7: The BJP on Thursday, December 6, alleged the former Siddaramaiah led Congress government of misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore in the 2016-17 state budget.
This issue will be the bone of contention in the winter session of the assembly in Belagavi as per the information given by N Ravikumar, state general secretary of the party and Ashwathanarayana, MLA of the party.
Siddaramaiah
The BJP says that the then CM Siddaramaiah had not taken any approval from the state legislature and concerned officers of the departments, before releasing huge amount of money that was spent exorbitantly without any accountability.
The duo from BJP said, quoting the report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), that the then government had released Rs 1,43,341 crore for the supply of water to lakes. But according to BJP, the proof for the work done is not available. The party wants to know where the money was spent.
The party alleged that uniforms for 52, 73,028 students were procured by the government. However, the number of students who were the actual beneficiaries stood at 47, 45,846 only. In this deal there is a misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 1.27 crore. For the modernization of the police department, a sum of Rs 290.98 crore was earmarked. However, accounts are available only for Rs 222.48 crores, which means that the remaining Rs 68.5 crores is not accounted for.
Both the BJP party persons said that there have been scams in departments pertaining to health and family welfare, urban development, public works, housing, revenue and others.
The BJP leaders are accusing that around 19 percent of the amount earmarked in the budget for various departments has been misused. Giving bifurcation of the same, they said that Rs 375 crore in the water resources department, Rs 166 crore in PWD, Rs 249 crore in the urban development section and Rs 54. 35 crore in the education department is not accounted for.
The BJP leaders have urged CM H D Kumaraswamy to initiate actions against his cabinet colleagues including former CM Siddaramaiah.