Siddarth Sethia
H
ubballi: Claiming that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has lost patience, former CM and Haveri-Gadag Lok Sabha member Basavaraj Bommai said whenever asked about the state’s budget expenditure, the incumbent CM shifts the blame to the central government.
Speaking to the media in Hubballi on Saturday he said as a common citizen,if he suggests that the state’s financial situation should improve, even that seems to be a problem for him.If he talks about the state budget, the CM talks about the central budget.
Siddaramaiah must provide a detailed breakdown of the state budget, including how much was allocated last year and how much has been spent.
“‘When I was in office, I presented a supplementary budget, but for the last two years, they have been presenting deficit budgets.
When we were in power, we borrowed Rs 77,000 crore and used most of it for capital expenditure. However, during Congress’ tenure, capital expenditure has not increased, but the debt has.
They have borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh crore in just two years, with an additional Rs 15,000 crore borrowed last year. When questioned about pushing the state into a debt trap, they express objections.
If they have not released funds even for their much-hyped guarantee schemes, that itself is proof of their financial bankruptcy.”
Fight against the government
Bommai said funds from the State Power Transmission Project (SPTPS) have been misused over the past two years.
The Rs.25,000 crore allocated in the budget for SCP-TSP (Scheduled Caste Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan) has been diverted to other schemes, leading to a shortage of funds for development.
Additionally, funds allocated to the Social Welfare Department have also not been released.The CM Siddaramaiah often speaks about social justice,yet the grants meant for OBCs,SCs,STs,and other general welfare programs have not been disbursed.
After the Valmiki Corporation scam, there is no clarity on what is happening in that department—how much has been allocated, how much has been spent,and how much remains unutilized.They are merely trying to appease SC and ST communities without taking real action.
The MP said they will launch a protest against this.The BJP is taking these issues to the people. Soon,they will hold discussions within the party framework and announce a date for the protest.
There is also a possibility of launching a protest before the budget is presented.
Asked about Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s post about him on the X platform, the former CM said let Dinesh first fix the Health Department that he has been given. The previous BJP government upgraded PHCs (Primary Health Centers), opened the clinics, and established four new medical colleges. They had provided significant funding for the health department, but today, the department is in a dire state.
