From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 31: On day two of his Delhi visit, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had a busy day meeting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya besides visiting Raj Ghat to pay homage to Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
While the Chief Minister urged Sitharaman to release the pending dues of Rs 11,000 crore towards the GST compensation and also Rs 18,000 crore promised as compensation in the form of loan at the earliest in view of the financial stringency faced by Karnataka due to Covid pandemic, he was successful in persuading Mandaviya to sanction Rs 800 crore to the State for various infrastructure requirements for controlling the Covid situation.
Bommai, in his meeting with the Union Finance Minister, pointed out that the Government of India has already released Rs 12,000 crore to Karnataka towards GST compensation and had to release balance amount of Rs 11,000 crore.
In addition, he reminded the Union Finance Minister to sanction an additional Rs 18,000 crore in the form of loan. Thus, the State has requested the Union Finance Minister to release Rs 29,000 crore.
The Chief Minister explained to Sitharaman that the State was in need of funds in view of the Covid situation and shortfall in revenue collection.
He also urged the minister to release the amounts due to the State for implementing the Central sponsored schemes.
The Chief Minister later called on Union Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya and explained the requirements of Karnataka for the health infrastructure development, creation of ICU beds, Oxygen supply and medicines. The Union minister agreed to release Rs 800 crore to the State, Bommai told reporters after the meeting.
Bommai also mentioned that the State Government had submitted a demand for supply of 1.5 crore doses of vaccines, of which the Centre has agreed to provide 1 crore doses of the vaccine.
The Chief Minister said the State Government would now be able to supply 2 to 3 lakh doses of vaccines on a daily basis to vaccinate the maximum number of eligible people.
Taking note of the spike in the cases in the neighbouring Kerala State, the Chief Minister said the Union Government has promised to issue suitable guidelines for protection along the borders.