Delay in projects: Ministers stick to ‘no funds’ formula

Majority of the answers for starred questions raised by MLAs reflected the poor financial status of the government.

Ministers such as Transport Minister Laxman Savadi, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle and Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan blamed the financial condition of the state for the delay in implementation of projects.

It was followed by an assurance by the ministers - to take up the project on priority “as and when funds were available.”

Eshwarappa resorted to this response to several questions raised during the day, including the one by Mudigere BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy. The MLA had highlighted the poor status of roads after floods during the year in his constituency, adding that RDPR department had not released any funds to repair roads.

Another BJP MLA Haratalu Halappa from Sagar constituency, embarrassed the government stating that no funds were released for relief works under RDPR. “We couldn’t release funds due to Corona...,” Eshwarappa said.

A question by another BJP MLA Karunakara Reddy, representing Harapanahalli constituency, to Eshwarappa on multi-village drinking water scheme, evoked a similar response. “The proposal was in front of the government. Based on the availability of funds, the project will be taken up on priority.”

Savadi also resorted to the response while explaining the delay in starting works on the Assistant RTO office at Chintamani, while Jolle used the reason to explain the delay in sanctioning anganwadis to Raichur rural constituency.