Mangaluru MLA demands white paper on funds released during Congress govt

Mangaluru: Mangalore City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath demanded that a comparative white paper be issued detailing the funds released to the constituency during the tenure of the previous BJP government and the funds received during the last three years under the present Congress government, along with the works implemented.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana was announced during the budget in 2019 to all the city corporations including Mangaluru. Accordingly, action plan for the works worth Rs 165 crore was sanctioned and some of the works were initiated. After the assembly elections in 2023, the Congress government stalled all the works. He claimed that the same project had now been renamed by adding Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana II and is being projected as a new initiative to mislead the public.

He criticised local Congress leaders, accusing them of politicising development issues and challenging them to release a white paper detailing funds allocated and works executed in Mangalore City South constituency and Dakshina Kannada district.

Questioning the decision to halt the earlier scheme, Kamath asked why the same project was now reintroduced under a different name. Responding to allegations that foundation stones were laid without finance department approval, he said the project had already been announced in the state budget and that such announcements were possible only after necessary approvals from the finance department.

The MLA also questioned claims that Congress legislators had been given Rs 50 crore each, while BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) legislators received Rs 25 crore for development works. He challenged Congress leaders to provide proof of at least one development project for which foundation stones had been laid or tenders floated using those funds. He said funds allocated to all 224 constituencies could not be portrayed as a major achievement, as such allocations were mandatory regardless of the party in power.

Kamath said that despite meetings involving senior leaders, including the Speaker and district in-charge minister, no significant allocations had been secured for the district or coastal region in the recent budget. He questioned whether the government would value opposition demands when it had not given due importance even to its own leaders.

Responding to claims by Congress leaders about desilting of stormwater drains at a cost of Rs 4 crore, Kamath said such works were routine annual activities funded by the municipal corporation using taxpayers’ money and should not be projected as a special achievement of the government.

Take up work on Ambedkar Circle

Though the foundation for the proposed Ambedkar Circle was laid in 2024, the work has not been taken up so far. The project plan for the same has not been finalised.