From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Feb 5: In a direct challenge to the opposition BJP, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has invited all State BJP leaders, MPs and MLAs to join the ruling Congress party’s protest to fight for State’s rights on Wednesday, January 7 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
“Our protest is to fight for protecting the interests of the State and its rights. If the BJP leaders are genuinely interested in protecting and safeguarding the interests of Karnataka and its people, they are welcome to join us,” Siddaramaiah said addressing a news conference in Vidhana Soudha on Monday.
The Chief Minister said the State Government has a strong case on the injustice to Karnataka with facts and figures. “How long can we tolerate this injustice? The State is facing step-motherly treatment from the Centre since the last 10 years in the devolution of funds,” he said.
The Congress protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi will be held on February 7 at 11 am.
“It is our bounden duty to fight for protecting the interests of Karnataka by utilising the opportunity given by the people. We have been patient and have been patient believing the Centre will be fair in a federal set up. We expected the Centre to correct the anomalies as stated in last year’s budget. But the Centre has not done anything and the injustice continues,” he said and made it clear that the government and the ruling party have been forced to voice their protests and seek justice to all Kannadigas.
The Chief Minister said: “Our fight and protest in Delhi is to make the Centre to listen to our woes and see our plight.”
‘Nirmala is the worst offender’
Siddaramaiah alleged that Karnataka has suffered the most under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha member from the State and she is the worst offender.
“Former BJP Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraja Bommai do not open their mouths before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP Opposition leader R Ashok does not understand all these things. Prahlad Joshi and Shobha Karandlaje are Union Ministers from the State. All the 27 BJP MPs have not opened their mouths. The people who elected all these leaders are not bothered. So we are forced to fight and create public awareness,” he said.
The Modi government had promised in last year’s budget to sanction Rs 5,300 crore for Bhadra project but has not released even a rupee so far. The Drought Relief funds, which are our right, have not been released. Karnataka’s persistent demand to increase the total number of mandays to 150 days to help the people to provide work under the Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Scheme has not been approved.
He said State’s ministers, MLAs, MLCs and MPs are participating in the Delhi protest. We invite the BJP leaders, all its MPs, MLAs and MLCs to join us if they are really interested in safeguarding the interests of Karnataka and its people.
Cess, Surcharges must be shared with states
The Chief Minister said the Central government, which raises taxes and surcharges and cess from petrol, diesel etc. from the States must be distributed to the States in a federal set up as laid down in the Constitution.
He said the Centre is raising revenue through Cess and Surcharges on various commodities, which is not shared with the States even though the collection is done by the States. “I strongly demand that Centre should share the Cess and Surcharges with the States and this should be part of the terms of the 16th Finance Commission,” he said.
'Karnataka has lost Rs 1,87,867 cr under Modi'
The Chief Minister charged that Karnataka has suffered a huge loss of Rs 1,87,876 crore under the formation of the 15th Finance Commission under Modi.
In the 14th Finance Commission the State’s share of taxes was 4.71%, which was reduced to 3.64% in the 15th Finance Commission or a reduction of 1.07%. It means the State has lost Rs 45,000 crore in the last 4 years. This is a reduction in direct cash transfer.
“Our estimates point that Karnataka has suffered a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 62,098 crore. Besides, the Centre had promised release a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore to compensate the reduction of cash transfers from 4.71 to 3.74% and even this amount is not released,” he said pointing out that Karnataka has suffered a total loss of Rs 73,593 crore.
A grant of Rs 3,000 crore for peripheral ring road project, Rs 3,000 crore for improving lakes and tanks or totally additional grant of Rs 6,000 crore had been approved. But even that amount has not come.
Siddaramaiah claimed that Karnataka has suffered losses in the devolution of funds under the Finance Commissions after Modi became Prime Minister to the tune of Rs 62,098 crore from 2020-21 to 2025-26 period.
He also claimed that the Centre has denied the special grant Rs 11,495 crore for the period of 2020-21 and 2021-22. Under the 15th Finance Commission, the loss to Karnataka in taxes is Rs 73,593 crore.
Karnataka had opposed the introduction of GST and the Centre had promised to release compensation, which has been restricted to 5 years. The State’s demand for increasing the compensation has fallen on deaf years.
The Chief Minister said Karnataka is the second leading State in GST collection at Rs 4,30,000 crore after Maharashtra. But Karnataka is the loser in direct share of taxes and grants for centrally funded projects taking the total of Rs 50,257 crore.
“Out of the Rs 100 that goes into the Central kitty from the State, the return from the Centre is barely Rs 12 which is gross injustice,” he said.
Quoting facts and figures, he said the size of the Central budget was Rs 21,46,715 crore and the total share of the State was Rs 47,990 crore including cash transfer and share in taxes. The budget size increased in 2018-19 to Rs 24,42,213 crore and the grants to the State was reduced by Rs 2,000 crore.
The Central budget size is Rs 45,03,097 crore in 2023-24 and the State is expected to get barely Rs 50,27 crore.
'Denial of drought relief funds'
The Chief Minister alleged that Karnataka has suffered the most severe drought with 223 taluks out the total of 236 in the State are hit by drought conditions with 123 taluks being severely affected. Karnataka has suffered crop losses to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore due to drought and the government has requested the Centre to release Rs 17,901 crore as relief.
The Central Study Team has visited the State and submitted a report to the Centre on September 23. But the Modi government has not done anything so far.
“I have visited Delhi and met Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Agriculture Minister Cheluvarayaswamy has also met Central ministers. I myself personally submitted another request to Modi when he visited Bengaluru. This step motherly treatment should stop. We are not asking for charity but what the State is due,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said the State is not demanding that funds to the northern states should not be released. All we that we want is justice and the State’s interests to be protected, he said.
The Chief Minister said the Modi regime has neglected release of funds to the State for irrigation projects and approvals for projects like Mekedatu are held up.