DK Shivakumar accuses Centre of "stepmotherly treatment" to K'taka over development funds

BENGALURU: Karnataka Congress Chief and State Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has accused the Centre of "stepmotherly treatment" to Karnataka regarding funds for several development projects amid drought conditions.

In an exclusive conversation with ANI, when asked about his claims of paucity of funds for projects, DK Shivakumar said, "...In Karnataka, there was a double-engine government. Chief Minister Bommai, when he was in power himself, admitted on record in the assembly that we would have to fight for our share."

He accused Centre of not giving an extra 50 days of work in drought-hit Taluks. "I am not talking about big things, there is MGNREGA programme, in which every drought time they have to permit us 150 days, but they are giving only 100 days, they have to give 50 more days. This is the law of the country, this is mandatory.

We have 200 Taluks under drought, but not a single rupee has been given funds for drought. My Chief Minister and ministers all met the Prime Minister, Home Minister and other Union Ministers-- requested all of them. But nothing has been given," the Congress leader said.

"We are the second largest state after Maharashtra, giving a lot of facilities. In the last budget, Nirmala Sitharaman herself admitted to give a lot of permission, and a lot of financial support for the Bhadra Hydropower project. (5300 cr). In the budget that has been voted, till now, I am telling not a single rupee has been released to Karnataka, there were so many cases, we know what had been given to Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and other states," he added.

"Karnataka has been treated as stepmotherly; we are fighting for our rights, for our tax. Only 13 per cent of whatever we are mandated from the centre, we are given, we are receiving. Earlier, when Manmohan Singh's government was there, a lot of financial strength was given to Bengaluru because he felt that the world was looking at India through Bengaluru," the KPCC president said.

Earlier on Sunday, in a push-back against allegations of fiscal bias against Congress-ruled Karnataka and non-provision of funds, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said every penny due to the state is accounted for and was released on time.

Speaking at an informal interaction organised by the Thinkers Forum here in the Karnataka capital, Sitharaman said, "The claim that Rs 5,495 crore as a special grant was not released for Karnataka is totally false. The Finance Commission, in its final report, did not recommend any such special grants." Earlier on Saturday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the state government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to immediately release grants under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state, which is witnessing drought-like conditions. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "The Karnataka government had waited for a long time and now inevitably we (state government) have filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Central government. Centre should immediately release the NDRF fund." Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai asked the Siddaramiah-led Congress government in Karnataka to "disclose" details of the NDRF funds received during the UPA and NDA regimes.

Speaking to reporters in Hubbali on Tuesday, he said, "The state's economic condition has become horrible, due to which it moved the Supreme Court. It was nothing but a political stunt. Instead of complaining about the non-receipt of funds from the central government, the Congress leaders must furnish details of the NDRF funds received during the UPA and NDA governments." (ANI)