Mysore/Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday launched a scathing critique against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing her of misunderstanding the principle of fair distribution of funds to the States.
Using the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the CM asserted that Nirmala Sitharaman consistently disregarded factual evidence. “One would anticipate the Finance Minister of our nation to uphold truthfulness. Unfortunately, she persistently contradicts documented facts,” the CM stated.
Earlier in the day, Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the Centre had fully and promptly disbursed all dues owed to Karnataka. On the criticism by the Finance Minister that adequate budgetary allocations were not made before the five guarantees were announced, Siddaramaiah said that he has reserved money in the budget to fund the guarantees. He accused the Finance Minister of ‘destabilising the financial health of Karnataka’ by stopping the guarantees.
Siddaramaiah, whose Government recently petitioned the Supreme Court over a purported ‘five-month delay’ in receiving drought relief funds from the Centre, highlighted that the final report of the 15th Finance Commission recommended allocating Rs. 6,000 crore to Karnataka, with Rs. 3,000 crore earmarked for the restoration of water bodies and another Rs. 3,000 crore designated for the construction of the Peripheral Ring Road for Bengaluru.
In his statement, Siddaramaiah referenced the interim report of the 15th Finance Commission for 2020-21, highlighting that the Commission had proposed allocating Rs. 6,764 crore for three States — Karnataka (Rs. 5,495 crore), Telangana (Rs. 723 crore), and Mizoram (Rs. 546 crore).
“The Ministry of Finance, led by Nirmala Sitharaman, disregarded these recommendations, thereby depriving Karnataka of its rightful allocation,” Siddaramaiah asserted. He emphasised that the grants recommended by the Commission were aimed at ensuring that no State received a lesser share in devolution compared to the previous year in absolute terms. “Kannadigas demand their fair share. This is not a plea for charity,” he affirmed.
This post was published on March 25, 2024 7:40 pm