Mysore/Mysuru: Without directly referencing the present Congress-led State government or mentioning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by name, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman indicated that Karnataka’s economy had been flourishing ‘until recently.’

“But now the elected Government in the State is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not giving them money to run their programmes. If you did not have the money and budgetary provisions for it or had failed to work out the finances, why did you make the promise? It is not PM Modi’s fault. Those who made the promises should live up to their word,” she said.

“It takes approximately Rs. 60,000 crore per year to implement all their promised guarantee schemes. I am not against any programmes. But they should tell me if they have worked out their finances and if their budget can provide for such expenditure. Now they accuse us of not giving money to run their government,” she said.

Regarding the State government’s decision to petition the Supreme Court against the Union Government for allegedly denying financial aid for drought management, the Union Finance Minister acknowledged the right of every citizen to seek justice through the Court. However, she emphasised that she would present all relevant facts before the Court. “We do not differentiate between States. It is my duty to present facts before the Court,” the Finance

Tea, discussion with influencers in Mysuru

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman travelled from Bengaluru to Mysuru by road yesterday evening. In Bengaluru, she attended an interaction event at RV Dental College, J.P. Nagar, where she engaged with public intellectuals, academicians and scholars.

Upon her arrival in Mysuru, Nirmala Sitharaman delivered a speech to a packed auditorium at the Convocation Hall of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) for about 35 minutes. She also participated in a question-and-answer session for over 30 minutes.

Subsequently, she participated in a tea session, engaging with over 20 influential figures from Mysuru. The discussions during the session encompassed various topics, including infrastructure, facilities and other pertinent matters concerning Mysuru. Following the tea session, the Finance Minister left for Bengaluru by road.