Limited funds for development of Karnataka this year: Shivakumar

Shivakumar blamed the previous BJP government for creating financial challenges, pointing out excessive tenders and draining the treasury

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that the Congress government would face challenges in providing funds for development this year due to financial constraints arising from the commitments made under the five guarantees.

Shivakumar blamed the previous BJP government for creating financial challenges, pointing out excessive tenders and draining the treasury. (HT)

The statement comes after chief minister Siddaramaiah called for a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting on Thursday in response to several legislators alleging concerns over the non-implementation of development works in their constituencies. The CLP meeting is scheduled to be held at a private hotel in Bengaluru, with the aim of addressing the grievances among party MLAs.

During the recently concluded Budget session of the State legislature, several Congress MLAs and MLCs expressed discontent, attributing their inability to accomplish constituency work to the alleged non-cooperation of ministers.

“We have allocated ₹40,000 crore this year for the five guarantees, leaving limited funds for developmental projects,” said Shivakumar, who also serves as the minister for water resources and Bengaluru City development. “Even in irrigation and public works, we can’t give (funds for development). But expectations are high. We’ve asked MLAs to hold on. We will explain this to them at the CLP meeting,” he said.

Even chief minister Siddaramaiah urged his Cabinet colleagues to remain patient regarding the allocation of funds for development. The recently presented 2023-24 budget earmarked over ₹35,000 crore for the Congress’ five guarantees, leading to increased borrowings and a revenue deficit of ₹12,522 crore.

Shivakumar further blamed the previous BJP government for creating financial challenges, pointing out excessive tenders and draining the treasury. “The previous government created bankruptcy. Excess tenders were floated. The treasury was emptied,” he said. “But we had to keep our promise of implementing the guarantees. In the first year itself, we’ve kept our word. So, everyone must be patient,” he said.

Regarding reports of discontent among Congress MLAs, Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy dismissed them as the handiwork of the BJP. He denied any internal dissatisfaction within the ruling Congress and assured that the government would complete its full five-year tenure.

A letter, appearing on social media and attributed to BR Patil, drew attention to the alleged issues faced by the legislators. However, Patil stated that the letter circulating was not the one he wrote and lodged a complaint with the police about the forged document.

In a separate development, chief minister Siddaramaiah responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about the opposition alliance ‘INDIA.’ Siddaramaiah questioned why the Prime Minister harboured so much animosity toward the name ‘India’ and pointed out that individuals like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, who were involved in financial misconduct, also shared the ‘Modi’ surname. He questioned the comparison made by the Prime Minister and referred to actions taken against Rahul Gandhi for making similar remarks.

PM Modi, on Tuesday, had criticised the opposition alliance ‘INDIA,’ describing it as directionless and citing historically contentious names like East India Company and Indian Mujahideen to suggest that such associations cannot mislead the people.