Bengaluru, Aug 22 (PTI) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said Karnataka became the top state in per capita income in the country due to the Congress party’s five pre-poll guarantees.
He also said since the Congress came to power in the state, it has spent Rs 96,000 crore.
“We have spent between Rs 52,000 crore to 55,000 crore on our five guarantees. Till July end, we spent Rs 96,000 crore (since the Congress came to power in May 20, 2023). Can a government without money spend so much money?” he argued during a discussion in the Assembly.
The five guarantee schemes are ‘Gruha Jyothi’ offering 200 units electricity free to every household, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme promising Rs 2,000 to every woman head of a family and ‘Anna Bhagya’ offering 10 kg rice to every member of the BPL family a month.
He said under the ‘Shakti’ scheme, Karnataka women have taken more than 500 crore rides.
“You know what has happened due to guarantees in the state? We are number one in per capita income in the country. In 2013-14, PCI was Rs 1,01,000 but today it is Rs 2,04,000. Without development can this happen?” he asked the opposition BJP replying to their charge that development has come to a standstill in the state.
Siddaramaiah said after Shakti scheme was introduced, employment rate of women has increased by 23 per cent in Bengaluru and 21 per cent in Hubballi-Dharwad.
“This is not me who is saying this but media is saying it. It’s the Centre, which has said in Parliament,” he added.
Taking on the BJP and its ally JD(S), Siddaramaiah said the opposition believes that guarantees are not development programmes. “If that were true how did the per capita income increase?” the Chief Minister asked.
“What’s the reason that Karnataka is number One in Per Capita Income? It’s because, these guarantees have increased the purchasing power of people. People are getting Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. Annually, people are getting Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. Isn’t this development?” he questioned.
Highlighting the reduction in central grants to Karnataka, he said under the 14th Finance Commission, the state got 4.7 per cent whereas in the 15th Finance Commission it fell to 3.6 per cent, a one per cent reduction resulting in a loss of Rs 68,000 crore.
If the state had received Rs 68,000 crore, it could have undertaken more development works.
After Karnataka’s share under tax devolution reduced in the 15th Finance Commission, the Commission chairperson recommended that Rs 5,495 crore be given to the state.
Further, under the Upper Bhadra water project, the state was supposed to get Rs 5,300 crore as announced in the 2023-24 union budget by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which we did not receive, he claimed.
“If we add 68,000 crore as well, we have incurred a loss of about Rs 80,000 crore. Had we received the Central funds, it would have become possible to allocate the money you had asked for your constituencies,” the Chief Minister told the House.
According to him, despite the lack of central grants and reduction in the devolution of taxes, the state presented a budget of about Rs 4,09,000 crore this fiscal.
“In 2024-25, the budget size was Rs 3,71,000 crore. This is an increase of about Rs 38,000 crore. How has the development slowed down?” asked the Chief Minister countering the opposition’s argument.
He also blamed the previous BJP government for the financial strain.
Terming his previous tenure from 2013 to 2018 as a “golden era”, Siddaramaiah said there was no financial problem.
“We are facing the fund crunch because they (BJP) cleared bills without money,” he added.
He also asserted that the Congress will come back to power in the state again due to the guarantees.
The assembly session ended sine die. PTI GMS GMS ROH
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