From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 19: Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his allegations regarding the slow pace of progress in Karnataka’s housing schemes, KPCC Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao strongly rebutted Modi and termed the allegations as totally baseless.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, who gave up his ministerial post in the Siddaramaiah cabinet to bold the KPCC Working President and has been functioning as the party’s spokesman, said the State Government has constructed 13.71 lakh houses and spent Rs 14,300 crore during 2013-18.

Addressing a public rally in Mysuru, Modi alleged that "Karnataka has been allotted 3.36 lakh houses for poor under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY). But the State Government has constructed only 38,000 houses. How can any government be so casual and careless?"

The young and articulate Congress leader ridiculed the Prime Minister for speaking without checking facts and said it was unbecoming of his post that his claims have to be contradicted.

"Instead of talking in public meetings without checking official facts, the Prime Minister would do well to inform the people of his government’s achievements during the last four years,’’ he said asked: "Is this the Modi Vikas model?’’

In PMAY Urban, the Centre spends Rs 1.5 lakh per house while the State government spends Rs 3.5 lakh. In rural PMAY, the centre spends Rs 0.72 lakh, while the State spends Rs 2.28 lakh, Rao said and asked Modi to check his facts first.

Under the PMAY Urban, a total of 2,90,507 houses were constructed incurring expenditure of Rs 14764.9 crore. The State spent Rs 9157.3 crore while the Centre spent Rs 4357.6 crore. Out of Rs 4357.6 crore, the Centre had released Rs 345 crore which was less than 10% of its share. Despite that the State had constructed 21,905 houses and work on 38,000 houses under progress, Rao claimed.

Under PMAY Rural, a total of 1,37968 houses were built during 2016-18. Out of Rs 1088.36 crore of the Centre, it had released Rs 696.86 crore.

Despite the Centre’s failure to give its share of money, Karnataka had constructed 1,37,968 houses by utilising its own funds, he said.

In 2017-18, Rao said the Centre had released less than 10 per cent of its share to the State.

It has become a habit for both Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah to speak without checking facts and make outlandish claims, he said and pointed out the Prime Minister has no excuses for not getting his facts correct.