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Siddaramaiah announces ₹50-crore grant for constituencies
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening met disgruntled Congress MLAs BR Patil and Raju Kage after returning from Delhi.
With rising discontent within the Congress legislature over alleged inadequate development funds, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a ₹50 crore grant for each assembly constituency, aiming to defuse tensions among party MLAs. The funds are expected to be released in July, and officials have been instructed to prioritise works based on legislators’ recommendations, said a leader in the know of the development.
The move follows a series of public outbursts from senior Congress leaders, including BR Patil, NY Gopalakrishna, Belur Gopalakrishna and Raju Kage, who flagged slow project execution, inadequate bureaucratic responsiveness, and underwhelming infrastructure development in their constituencies. To address these issues directly, the chief minister will soon begin daily breakfast meetings with small groups of MLAs to hear grievances and resolve them, the leader quoted above said.
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening met disgruntled Congress MLAs BR Patil and Raju Kage after returning from Delhi.
According to officials, housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan was also present at the meeting, in the wake of Patil’s allegation.
The leader quoted above said that the chief secretary has asked all departments to act promptly on requests made by MLAs, particularly those concerning constituency-level development, while maintaining legal compliance.
Basavaraj Rayareddy, economic advisor to the CM, acknowledged that implementation delays had tested the patience of legislators but rejected the suggestion of a rebellion.
Speaking in New Delhi, he said: “Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, has stabilised the state’s financial condition over the past two years. The frustration among MLAs is about slow implementation — not opposition to the chief minister.” Rayareddy attributed current constraints to policy lapses under the previous BJP-led administration, including irregular contract allocations and delayed fund releases.
BR Patil recently accused officials of accepting bribes in public housing projects. This prompted a strong response from RDPR and IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge, who said Patil could have addressed his concerns with senior leadership instead of going public. “Patil is a senior leader and I respect his ideology, but such issues should be discussed internally,” he said. Referring to a leaked phone call in which an official denies Patil’s claims, he added: “Legal action will follow if there’s evidence of wrongdoing.”
Defending the political dynamics of constituency job allocations, Priyank said it was natural for local residents to expect employment when major government institutions like the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences are set up in their regions.
Kagwad MLA Raju Kage, another leader who criticised the government citing a “collapsed administration” and lack of funds and hinted at resignation over delay in implementation of projects in his constituency. Responding to this, Priyank remarked, “Every MLA expects more money for their constituency — what’s wrong with that?”
Meanwhile, home minister G Parameshwara said that the chief minister would engage with all dissatisfied legislators. “These are constituency-specific issues, not state-level disagreements. Siddaramaiah will resolve them,” he said.
Parameshwara revealed that MLAs have already been directed to prepare action plans for projects worth ₹50 crore in their segments. “Even I am preparing such a plan. But what’s the use if we don’t have funds?” he asked. He also acknowledged complaints about inaccessible ministers and said the chief minister would take corrective steps.
When asked whether the Congress high command had instructed the CM to speak to disgruntled legislators, Parameshwara said, “I am not aware of what transpired at the meeting or whether such instructions have been given. ”
Reacting to the allegations of insufficient funds, BJP MLC CT Ravi on Wednesday demanded the resignation of housing minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, alleging corruption in his department. “Whether it’s his PA or departmental officials, Zameer should take responsibility. He must resign and face the investigation. Is he afraid of going to jail?” Ravi said at a press conference in Mangaluru.
