Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 1: 'Repeating a lie does not make it true', tweeted Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reacting to BJP national president Amit Shah’s allegations that Karnataka government deprived people of the 14th Financial Commission funds.
On March 30, a video clipping of Amit Shah shared on BJP’s official Twitter handle, has the BJP chief stating that Karnataka got Rs 88,583 crore under the 13th Finance Commission under the UPA government, while, the BJP-led government gave the state Rs 2,19,506 crore under the 14th Finance Commission. "It is the right of the people of Karnataka but why did Congress deprive them of it?" he questioned.
Siddaramaiah did not take Shah’s allegations lightly, and accused that the ignorance displayed by the BJP and its president as 'deliberate'. "I have explained this several times but the BJP keeps repeating the lie," he tweeted.
He called BJP’s comparison of increase of funds from 88,583 crore to 2,19,506 crore as an 'apple to orange comparison'.
"You are comparing 2 different periods. Due to inflation and tax growth, revenues rise by 10-15% every year. Plus devolution % was changed from 32 to 42%. But center reduced its share of central schemes," he tweeted.
Siddaramaiah further explained, "Devolution of central funds to states is a constitutional duty of the center and the funds are a right of all states. Finance Commissions decide formula for fund sharing and the states get the funds. It is not a gift of UPA or NDA. This has been the practice since 1950. These funds are not a special grant to Karnataka. All states receive it. Funds so received go into our state budget. I have presented 5 budgets with a total outlay of about 9,00,000 crores. This outlay is funded by Finance Commission grants, own tax revenue and borrowing."
Answering to BJP’s query on where the money went, Siddaramaiah said the answer is irrigation, schools, hospitals, roads and highways, railway lines, crop insurance, farm loan waiver and the list goes on.
He said the BJP should stop "lying and fooling people" as all these accounts were presented, debated and approved through 15 legislature sessions. Account for every rupee is presented before the legislature. The leader of opposition Jagdeesh Shettar is aware of this, he said.
He also took a dig at Karnataka BJP, asking if they were 'sleeping' for 5 years. "Did they sleep through the 15 Legislature sessions where all these accounts were presented, debated and approved? So, please stop fooling the people. Repeating a lie does not make it true," tweeted the CM.
He also told Shah that he was insulting his own leaders of opposition in the two houses Jagdeesh Shettar and K S Eshwarappa, with his silly questions. "What you are saying is they didn’t do their job asking for these accounts," Siddaramaiah ridiculed.