CM asks Modi to speak truth in his latest round of election campaigning in the state

From our special correspondent
Daijiworld media network

Kudligi (Ballari), April 29: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to arrive for his final campaign in the remaining fourteen Lok Sabha constituencies, Prime Minister Siddaramaiah continued his tirade against the BJP for spreading lies and election campaigning by polarizing voters using religion and caste. to speak the truth to the people.

Siddaramaiah, in a statement to the media, asked Modi to stop pitting people belonging to different castes and religions against each other to polarize voters and give an honest account of what he called a “gross injustice” to Karnataka mentioned. and Kannadigas during the last 10 years of his rule.

Holding a mirror up to the Prime Minister’s actions and words in his speeches, the Prime Minister has asked Modi to give an honest answer to his questions.

Referring to Modi’s claims that the BJP-led NDA government has given much more to the state than the Congress-led UPA, Siddaramaiah reminded the Prime Minister that the Center has released a total of Rs 46,288 crore from its annual budget of Rs 24,42,213. crore in 2018-19 and the releases include Rs 35,895 crore as share of state taxes and Rs 16,082 crore for centrally sponsored schemes.

The size of the Union Budget for the year 2023-2024 was a whopping Rs 45,03,097 crore and the total amount given to the state was barely Rs 55,529 crore, including a portion of taxes and subsidies under centrally sponsored schemes.

“If the Centre’s annual budget size has doubled in the last five years, why has the transfer of funds to the state not proportionately doubled, or at least the total release of Rs 1 laccrore?” he asked.

Siddaramaiah informed the Prime Minister that the total budget size during the ten years of the UPA regime was Rs 95,21,493 crore and the total expenditure was Rs 282 lac crore during the ten years of the Manmohan Singh regime.

“This means that the total expenditure was three times the total budget size under the UPA regime. So if the annual budget size of the NDA regime sees a three-fold increase in ten years, why has the total expenditure not tripled? he asked.

On the total debt burden, the Prime Minister pointed out that the total debt burden in 2014 was Rs 54 lakh crore. But according to claims made by the Modi regime, the total debt burden stood at Rs 172.37 lakh crore at the end of March 2024. “The total budget size tripled and the debt burden tripled. However, there was no corresponding increase in expenditure. Is this wrong?” he asked.

Siddaramaiah ridiculed Modi for his boast about construction of national highways and wanted to know why the breakup of the share of the States, the Contractors and the Center is not being revealed?

“Why, despite the contribution of the States in the construction of national highways, the collection of toll fees should be entirely attributed to the Centre?” he asked, pointing out that the Center has collected Rs 64,810 crore as toll fees, including the contribution of Rs 3,600 crore from Karnataka alone. In such a situation, what is the Centre’s performance?”

The residents of Chitradurga, Ballari, Vijayanagara, Tumakuru, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru districts are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the Upper Bhadra Project, for which the Union Finance Minister has promised an allocation of Rs 5,300 crore in the Budget 2023-24 when the project was declared a project. national project. “What happened to the money?” he asked.

The Mahadayi project has been given the green signal by the Supreme Court but was blocked by the Center, which would have helped the people of Hubballi-Dharwad and Kittur Karnataka region. As many as 61 projects with assured central support are still languishing and 23 departments involved in implementation of centrally funded projects have not received a single penny. Even the Mekedatu project is awaiting central approval. Why, he asked.

The Chief Minister said that the BJP’s promise of Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana ss and extension of Ayushmab service to senior citizens above 70 years was another big promise like the promise to establish the All Indian Medical Sciences (AIMS) model institute to be established in each state. Karnataka got AIMS insurance at Raichuru in 2014, but nothing has happened in the last ten years.

Siddaramaiah hit out at Modi and BJP for the promise of creating 3 crore Lakpati Didis and the claim that 1 crore lakhpati Didis have already been created, besides making 3 crore rural women as lakhpati didis. He wanted Modi to show a single lakpati didi made by Modi as promised.

The Prime Minister reminded Modi that his own state of Gujarat was the first state to criticize the unfair and unjust decentralization by the Finance Commission. Gujarat barely contributes Rs 60,000 crore to the Center in the form of tax collection and has received much more. However, Karnataka receives a pittance and is subjected to injustice.

The Chief Minister later addressed a rally in favor of Congress candidate E Tukaram in Ballari Lok Sabha constituency against BJP’s B Sriramulu. KPCC chief and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and other ministers were present.