Centre holding back Rs 10K cr assigned by finance panel: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the NDA government at the Centre of failing to allot around Rs 10,000 crore assigned by the 14th Finance Commission to Karnataka.

Speaking at a convention of the state Congress in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said that according the recommendation of the Finance Commission, Karnataka’s share under the devolution of funds during the last three years is Rs 1.02 lakh crore but only Rs 92,000 crore had reached the state.

He attacked BJP national president Amit Shah’s recent open challenge to him to give accounts on the utilisation of central funds provided to the state. “Who is this Amit Shah?  I am not answerable to him. I am answerable to the people,” Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah said it was the constitutional right of the state to get its due share under devolution of funds. “It is not a favour or mercy shown by the Centre,” he said.

On Shah’s charge that the Congress government in the state is the most corrupt in the country, Siddaramaiah said, “He (Shah) has no moral right to speak on corruption. It is coming from a person who has gone to jail.”

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing an “undeclared emergency” on the country. “There are restrictions on the media and government officials. Ministers and MPs are not allowed to speak. Even what food people should eat is decided by Modi,” Kharge said.