Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah on Wednesday blamed the central government for giving step-motherly treatment to the state and accused the Centre of starving Karnataka of already declared grants as well.

Slamming the Centre for “not releasing the announced grants” for the state — including funds for the Bhadra dam project, pensions for poor, elderly citizens and the needy, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Chief Minister said the state was not given even a rupee out of the funds of Rs 5,300 crore for the Bhadra Upper River Project as announced by the Union Finance Minister.

Advertisement

The Chief Minister was reviewing the functioning of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees, which seek to promote participative governance and deliberative democracy. Agreeing with the suggestion of the committee members for increased efforts to bring the central shares to the state, the Chief Minister said that even though the state pays huge taxes, not even a small aid comes to the state.

Siddaramaiah said that the Upper Bhadra Project aims to irrigate approximately 2.25 lakh hectares across the districts of Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davangere, and Tumakuru. It also plans to replenish over 350 tanks with 10.8 tmcft of water and enhance the capacity of the Vani Vilas reservoir.

The CM said that in the 15th Finance Commission, a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore should have been provided by the Centre, including money for the lake and the peripheral ring road, totalling Rs 11,495 crore, but the state has not received any amount.

“Even though we pay Rs 4.5 lakh crore in taxes from the state, not even a small amount of aid comes to the state from the Centre. They do not give money even for centrally funded projects, but you accuse the state government of not having money for development,” the Chief Minister said.

Even for social security schemes, the Centre is depriving the state of funds. The Centre had released only a minor portion of the central government grants for widow pensions, old age pensions, and disabled pensions, amounting to Rs 559.61 crore. However, only Rs 113.92 crore has been disbursed so far, the CM said. “How can one manage if the Centre cuts grants meant for social schemes as well?” he asked.

The Chief Minister heavily criticized MPs from the state and lambasted them for being silent over the injustice to Karnataka. He claimed that he had met Finance Minister Sitharaman twice, but to no avail.

Speaking about various pensions given by the state, Siddaramaiah said the state government gives a total of Rs 5,665 crore in pensions, while the central government contributes Rs 559 crore.

“The central government is not able to give even this small amount. The Centre has kept this pending for two years. Why is this so?” he asked.

The Chief Minister said even pensions due from the central government have not been given for the past two years.

“The names of Prime Minister Modi and the Centre appear on most of the projects funded by the state government. However, not even a fraction of the Centre’s money is coming. Shouldn’t you (MPs) question this continuous injustice?” Siddaramaiah said about the MPs, many of whom are from the BJP.

Funds meant for MGNREGS too have been pending, the CM said, after officials briefed him on the issue.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the state’s grant under the centrally sponsored schemes for the year 2024-25 is Rs 24,960 crore. The central share in those schemes is Rs 22,758 crore, of which only Rs 18,561 crore has been released by the Centre, while Rs 4,195 crore is still pending.

Officials also said that the Centre has not released Rs 7,656 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 3,233 crore in 2024-25 under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme.