Congress to protest BJP silence over funds

The Opposition Congress has decided to take to the streets in protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  government’s refusal to release a white paper on the utilisation of funds over the last four years.

The party will launch a statewide ‘Lekka Kodi’ (give account) campaign on Tuesday, October 30, by laying siege to all the offices of deputy commissioners at 11 am.

Addressing the media in Bangalore on Friday, State Congress president G Parameshwara said the government had been receiving massive funds from the Centre under various programmes, but that the BJP government had failed to utilise them effectively.

The State government, has so far received Rs 88,817 crore from the Centre in the form of taxes and grants — Rs 47,630.65 crore between 2008-09 and 2012-13, and Rs 41,186.79 crore, respectively, he said. “This is in addition to Rs 6,675 crore loan raised by the State government,” he added.

He explained that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the State government had received Rs 2,441 crore in 2010-11 and Rs 2,446 crore in 2011-12. The government has, however, failed to produce utilisation certificates for over a year, while spending has been not more than Rs 800 crore.

“We have been continuously demanding that the government release a white paper on the expenditure, but the government has remained nonchalant,” he added.