BSY dubs Kumaraswamy govt's performance as 'poor'

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday termed the Congress-JD(S) government’s performance in the first six months since coming to power as “poor”.

He said the BJP will demand answers from Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy during the winter session of the state assembly in Belagavi. The session will be held from December 10 to 21.

“I have been demanding that the chief minister releases a white paper about the financial condition of the state. He did not do it and spoke lightly about it,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

He claimed that the data collected by him about the government’s development works showed that the state’s total budget grant was Rs 1,87,996 crore, out of which 39 per cent, Rs 73,440 crore, has been spent.

For the corresponding period in 2017, it was 42.40 per cent, he said, adding that most of it was used for government employees’ salary and travel.

“The (government’s) performance is poor,” the BJP leader said.

The chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, has to explain the planned and non-planned expenditure and the progress made, Yeddyurappa demanded.

He also claimed that the state government’s performance has been “dismal” under Special Development Plan (SDP), Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), Externally Funded Projects, Centrally Sponsored Programmes, and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, among others.

“I urge the chief minister to give a clear picture about the figures and the performance… during the Belagavi session we will discuss the financial condition and the progress that has been made by the government,” he said.

The BJP has called a meeting of its legislators and MPs on November 29 to decide on the further course of action and agitation against the government.

Yeddyurappa claimed that MLAs of the Congress were themselves saying that the government has “not taken off” even after six months of coming to power.

He alleged that farmers continued to commit suicides in the state and funds were not being released to MLAs for development works.

The state BJP chief also hit out at former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda over his remarks wherein he had said that the “democracy is in danger”.

“What does he mean? He should explain,” Yeddyurappa said.

The whole world is lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added.

“Democracy is not in danger, probably the Kumaraswamy government in the state is in trouble,” the BJP leader said.