Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Aug 17: Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, has questioned the basis on which national president of BJP, Amit Shah, is asking the state government to furnish accounts for grants received from the central government. He said Amit Shah does not have any authority to question the state government about its finances.
Addressing a convention of Congress workers held on Wednesday August 16 at National College ground here, Siddaramaiah said that lacs of crores of rupees gets channellized to the central government from every state in the form various taxes, and that out of this, the 14th finance commission had allocated Rs 2,07,000 crore rupees to Karnataka state. He however, pointed out that during the last three years, the union government had released only Rs 1,02,000 crore to the state out of this sum and that during the previous three years, the central government had affected a cut of Rs 10,000 crore in the grant that the state was eligible to receive. He asked BJP leaders from the state to see that the centre releases this sum.
"Corruption is rampant in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajastan where BJP is in power. In the entire country, Karnataka happens to be the only corruption-free government. If the central government has any proof about corruption involving ministers of Karnataka, it should come out with details and prove the allegation," he challenged.
The chief minister noted that the state government had waived off farm loans of farmers up to Rs 50,000 and asked the central government to waive loans raised by farmers from nationalized banks. He asked Yeddyurappa to hold protest demonstration in front of the parliament demanding waiver of loans raised by farmers.
Siddaramaiah accused BJP activists of not being aware of the agony of remaining hungry. "When we introduced Anna Bhagya scheme, BJP leaders had resisted it. Now, when we took steps to open Indira Canteens, BJP is again making unfounded allegations. Only those who have gone through hunger are aware of the feeling associated with it. We will be happy if poor people are able to get two square meals a day," he added.