CM Siddaramaiah flays Centre for not releasing funds to face acute drought

With Karnataka reeling under an acute water crisis due to a severe drought situation in most parts of the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday launched a fresh attack against the Centre for not releasing Rs 18,172 crore to face the challenge.

He charged that the Centre did not heed to the state government’s plea to increase the number of man-days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 to 150.

Siddaramaiah also alleged that the union government did not release Rs 1,600 crore towards the payment of wages to those working under MGNREGS.

“We gave the first memorandum to the Centre on October 20, 2023 to release Rs 18,172 crore for drought mitigation but till now the Centre did not give even a penny,” the chief minister said.

He alleged that the BJP comes to fight with the Congress whenever the Karnataka government asks the Centre for funds.

“It is true that Karnataka did not get money. The BJP in Karnataka says there is a way to demand it. Hence, we asked them that let us go under your leadership, but they did not respond,” Siddaramaiah said.

“Now JD(S) too has joined the BJP and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy speaks like BJP’s spokesman that our approach is not proper,” the chief minister said.

According to Siddaramaiah, 223 out of 236 Taluks of Karnataka are reeling under drought and among them 219 are badly affected.

The Karnataka ministers, Congress MLAs and MPs on February 7 staged a demonstration in Delhi against the injustice to Karnataka in releasing funds and giving its share of Central grants.