Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s announcement of increasing the allocation for Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) from the present ₹3,000 crore to ₹5,000 crore has triggered a political tussle with the Opposition Congress describing this as an eyewash and a strategy to impress voters ahead of the Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Priyank Kharge, spokesperson of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, said that it was a promise that was made not for implementation but for impressing voters in the Assembly elections.
“After participating in Kalyana Karnataka Utsav Day in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that he would increase the budgetary allocations to KKRDB to ₹5000 crore in the next Budget. He made this announcement clearly keeping the Assembly elections in mind. It is meant for election and not for implementation. Making tall promises ahead of elections and going back on them is their [BJP’s] habit,” Mr. Priyank said.
Referring to Mr. Bommai’s previous promise of increasing the special grants to KKRDB from ₹1,500 crore to ₹3000 crore, Mr. Priyank said that the government had released only ₹1,500 crore to the KKRDB head account and the remaining ₹1,500 crore was diverted from SDP grants to aspirational taluks’ initiatives, which would not come under the KKRDB head account.
“The BJP legislators in the region are already celebrating as they are thinking of misappropriating 40% of the funds in the form of commission,” Mr. Priyank said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister slammed Mr. Priyank and accused him of not being interested in development of Kalyana Karnataka region.
“I do not know why Mr. Kharge is opposing the announcement of ₹5,000 crore grant to Kalyana Karnataka region instead of welcoming it. It seems that he is not interested in development of the region,” Mr. Bommai told reporters here on Sunday. He said that instead of welcoming the big announcement, Mr. Kharge has opposed it, which gives an impression that he wants the region to remain backward. “Everyone should work together to overcome backwardness of the region and should not indulge in politics.”
Meanwhile, on the demand of Congress for Health Minister K. Sudhakar to resign taking moral responsibility for the deaths at Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Science, Mr. Bommai said 80 persons had died when doctors went on strike for five days protesting against the Karnataka Private Doctor’s Bill. “Did the then Health Minister resign?” he asked.
