Mangaluru: BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel accuses Siddaramaiah govt of stalling development funds

Mangaluru: Former BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel has accused the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government of withholding development funds for the past one and a half years, resulting in stalled projects across the state.

He claimed that since the Congress government took office, no grants have been released for development work, affecting everything from Gram Panchayats to urban local bodies. Even MLAs’ funds have not been disbursed, and development has been neglected, Kateel alleged.

Kateel contrasted this with the previous BJP administrations under Yediyurappa and Bommai, where, he said, substantial development grants were released.

“Before the elections, the Congress made several promises, including the announcement of five guarantees. However, the beneficiaries are not receiving any funds, and the Yuva Nidhi scheme has also seen no financial disbursements,” he added.

He further criticized the government’s decision to stop providing free rice, which was part of its election promise. “Now they are attempting to discontinue that too. All state-run dairy units are running at a loss. They accused us of taking 40% commission without any evidence, but now it has gone up to 80%,” he claimed.

Kateel also mentioned the MUDA (Mangalore Urban Development Authority) scam and the Valmiki Corporation scam, stating that despite having complete records of these cases, Siddaramaiah has only issued face-saving statements instead of resigning on moral grounds. He expressed surprise at Siddaramaiah’s stance and criticized the state government for failing both financially and in maintaining law and order.