Karnataka on brink of bankruptcy, claims R Ashoka

Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Tuesday slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for "reckless borrowing" and "unscientific policies" that, he claimed, are driving Karnataka towards financial distress.

Ashoka was reacting to DH's story on how Siddaramaiah will find it difficult to hike salaries of government employees as per the 7th Pay Commission scales and revert to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) amid huge expenditure on the five 'guarantee' schemes.

"The reckless borrowing and unscientific policies of the Congress government have pushed Karnataka into a brink of bankruptcy, leaving no funds to even pay salaries for government employees (sic)," Ashoka said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

"CM Siddaramaiah has been a disaster for Karnataka and development has come to a grinding halt in the state due to his blunders and mismanagement in the last one year," Ashoka charged.

A senior official from the Finance Department, however, brushed aside Ashoka's concerns over the state's finances. "No such calamity is going to befall us. Fears are vastly exaggerated," the official said.