At a time when the revenue collection has dipped in the State due to various reasons, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara on Monday said that if the state’s financial performance is impressive, its plan outlay would go up and also the state would get ‘bonus’ from the Centre.
He released a document containing the statistical details of the fund flow from the Centre to Karnataka. It has details 20 programmes under Bharath Nirman and other flagship programmes. While some are totally Centre-sponsored, some have the state component too.
The document is also released as a prelude to the preparations for the fast approaching Lok Sabha elections. The opposition leaders had on many occasion questioned the Centre’s commitment to the state in terms of financial aid.
Parameshwara said when M Veerappa Moily was the chief minister, the Centre increased the plan outlay by 15 per cent as bonus as the resource mobilisation of the State was good. “In the coming days, if we mobilise more revenue, I am confident that we will get more help from the Centre.” However, he said the present government has been managing its finances well.
The Congress leader said that between 2004-13, the State has received Rs 1,33,73.76 crore as grants from the Centre. Before the last Assembly elections when Congress chief Sonia Gandhi visited Mangalore, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 88,000 crore grants. But, the state failed to make best use of it, he alleged.
After her visit, the BJP leaders had demanded the account of the funds released. Hence, the document has been released, he added.
In the 11th Five Year Plan, the Centre had released Rs 1,42,591.11 crore. Under the 12th plan, during 2012-13, Rs 42,030 crore and Rs 48,685 crore in the next year were released to the state. Every year, the State gets not less than Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 crore grants under various schemes. Around 20 major programmes have been funded by the Centre. The Midday meal scheme is totally sponsored by the Centre, he pointed out.
Parameshwara said the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections would be readied by December-end. The process of selection has begun, he added.
The Congress leaders, when asked to comment on the U-turn by his party government on the proposed anti-superstition bill, said, “the bill was not discussed in the party forum. The chief minister has already announced that the bill will not be introduced in the coming legislature session.”