Centre’s withholding of funds crippling major schemes in State, says Priyank Kharge

Accusing the Union government of blocking Karnataka’s progress, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has said that the Centre’s failure to release its promised share of funds has hit the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and several other development projects in the State.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Kharge said the State was expecting ₹2,500 crore under JJM last year but received only ₹517 crore. “The State government had to step in and cover the remaining amount to ensure people did not suffer. But the Centre has again failed to release its share this year, it [Centre] has to release nearly ₹13,000 crore to Karnataka against the JJM scheme. Yet, the Prime Minister in Parliament claimed that there are no pending dues to Karnataka”, he added.

The Minister took on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Karnataka MPs for remaining silent on issues affecting the State. The Centre had failed to release the funds recommended by the 15th Finance Commission, and even the funds of ₹6,000 crore allocated for drinking water projects in Kalaburagi and Bidar districts and funds required for national highway projects in the State were also withheld, he alleged.

Probe agencies

Replying to a question, Mr. Kharge said the Centre was using investigation agencies selectively. He noted that fresh notices had been served on Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and former MP D.K. Suresh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the National Herald case. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the same matter. “These actions are clearly politically motivated,” he remarked.

Mr. Kharge accused the BJP of refusing to speak about corruption involving its own leaders He said the declining rupee and closure of lakhs of small and micro enterprises contradict the Union government’s claims of ‘Amrit Kaal’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’. “The Modi-led government’s slogans seem to benefit only capitalists, not the common people,” he said.

He criticised the Prime Minister for not inviting Opposition leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit, saying that an established tradition had been broken.

MLAs Allamprabhu Patil and Kaneez Fatima, MLC Tippannappa Kamakanoor, KUDA Chairman Mazhar Khan were present.