Siddaramaiah rebuts BJP's charges on state economy

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday asserted that his government is working hard to bring the state’s economy back on track after the “mismanagement and chaos caused by the BJP’s irresponsible financial policies”.

In a statement issued in response to the allegations made by the Opposition leaders, he alleged, “The BJP leaders are speaking as if they are great economists. During their rule, they took up projects worth seven times more than the budget funds. As of March 31, 2023, they left behind unpaid bills worth Rs 2,70,695 crore in key departments, like Public Works, Minor Irrigation, Water Resources, Urban Development, Rural Development and Housing.”

Despite all this, Karnataka’s economy remains strong, the CM underscored that the state’s average budget growth over the last two years is 18.3 per cent, compared to just 5 per cent during the BJP’s four-year rule.

“The state’s tax revenue growth is 15% compared to 11% during the BJP’s tenure,” he contended.