Bengaluru, 26May

The Congress government is looting people in City under the guise of a garbage tax, making the entire City unaffordable, Opposition lead R Ashoka alleged.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that the State government has no funds left and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has imposed taxes even Tughlaq wouldn’t have dared to.

He blasted the Congress for the garbage tax, with the cess for a 30x40 ft house increased from Rs 120 to Rs. 720, or a 500 per cent hike. Apartment residents, who manage their own waste disposal, now face a cess increase from Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 18,000, he claimed.

Ashoka also criticised Siddaramaiah for skipping the NITI Aayog meeting while finding time for Congress meetings in Rajasthan and to meet Rahul Gandhi.

“Siddaramaiah has time to eat samosas and kachoris at a cricket stadium but not to engage with the central government,” Ashoka remarked.

“Each Chief Minister is given 15-20 minutes to speak at the NITI Aayog meeting, which could have been used to advocate for the State. If Siddaramaiah complains about lack of funds in the future, he shouldn’t be trusted,” Ashoka said.