MYSURU, 29 JULY

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “lying” as he targeted her and BJP-led NDA government at Centre for meting out “injustice’ to State in Union Budget 2024.

He alleged that BJP was trying to taint Congress-ruled Karnataka as a "corrupt State". The Chief Minister also said he and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will be travelling to New Delhi as they have been called by the Congress high command to "discuss the party and the government" but did not elaborate.

"Pre-budget meeting was called, we had said there that you (Centre) have said you will give Rs 5,300 crore for Upper Bhadra project. It is not given. The 15th Finance Commission in its report has recommended Rs 5,495 crore as special grants, is it there? It was said Rs 3,000 crore will be given for the peripheral ring road (in Bengaluru). It was promised to give Rs 3,000 crore for development of water bodies, is it there (in the Budget)?" Siddaramaiah asked.

He said: "None of these are in the Budget, is it not injustice? (grants) have been given to Andhra and Bihar, what is given to Karnataka? Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Nirmala Sitharaman could have at least said they will make efforts to ensure Karnataka gets (its due)."

The Chief Minister was responding to a question on Sitharaman on Sunday dismissing his allegation that Karnataka did not get its due share in the budget this year.

Maharashtra is number one in tax collection, Karnataka is number two -- "what is that contribution we have not given?" the Chief Minister said.

On Centre accusing the State government of borrowing more loans, he said: "We have done within the fiscal responsibility act limits -- 25 per cent per cent of the GSDP while they (Centre) have borrowed over Rs 15 lakh crore." —PTI