CM Siddaramaiah accuses HDD, HDK of silence on 'financial inequality' faced by state

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised questions about the “injustice” in tax devolution to the state from the centre. He questioned why the BJP and JD(S) leaders, including H.D. Deve Gowda, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Prahlad Joshi, remained silent during times of injustice against Karnataka.

Speaking to media on Monday after garlanding the statue of Kanakadasa during Kanaka Jayanti celebrations, the CM raised concerns about the Centre’s financial disparity with the states.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that while Karnataka contributes Rs 4.5 lakh crore in taxes to the Centre, it receives only Rs 59,000 crore in return. “The remaining funds are with the Centre. Leaders like Kumaraswamy and Joshi, who represent Karnataka in the Union government, must ensure the state gets its due instead of just speaking. Have Kumaraswamy or Deve Gowda spoken up when Karnataka faced injustices?” he asked.

Citing figures, Siddaramaiah highlighted the drastic reduction in NABARD loans to Karnataka, from Rs 5,600 crore last year to Rs 2,340 crore this year, terming it as unfair. “This is a 58% decrease. What have Kumaraswamy and Prahlad Joshi done about this as Union ministers? I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging them to address this injustice against farmers,” he added.

He also questioned the absence of promised funds for major projects, such as the Rs 5,300 crore allocation for the Upper Bhadra Project announced in the 2023-24 Budget. “Where is the Rs 11,595 crore announced under the 15th Finance Commission? Why aren’t they raising these issues?” he asked.

Defending Karnataka’s flagship Rs 56,000 crore guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah took a swipe at the BJP, asking why similar programs are not implemented in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. He added, “The BJP only talks, but it was our government that implemented schemes like Anna Bhagya, providing free rice. BJP or JD(S) never initiated such programs.”

He also clarified that the cancellation of ineligible BPL cards will not affect deserving beneficiaries.

‘Contemplating Legal Action Against Maharashtra Govt’

The CM said that the Karnataka government is considering filing a lawsuit against the Maharashtra government for allegedly spreading false propaganda about Karnataka’s guarantee schemes. Siddaramaiah accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s government of misleading the public with false advertisements to gain political advantage.

Reacting to Prime Minister Modi’s criticism of Karnataka’s schemes, Siddaramaiah retorted, “The claims made by the Maharashtra government and the PM are baseless. We are reviewing legal action to counter their misinformation.”