Backdoor politics won’t work, Siddaramaiah warns Centre; says development not possible without funding support

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday urged the Centre to release a fair amount of grants to states for development while accusing it of discrimination in the allocation of funds.

By ignoring constitutional principles, there is a tendency to delay the financial share due to the states, he said, adding that this attitude was compelling the states to seek legal recourse to get their rightful share from the Centre.

Teams of ministers from Karnataka and Kerala, led by chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Pinarayi Vijayan had staged a protest demonstration in Delhi in February alleging discrimination in allocation of funds to the Opposition-ruled states by the NDA government. Kerala even moved the apex court to assert its rights.


The Constitution, Siddaramaiah said, has clearly outlined the relationship between the Centre and the States within our federal system. While the states are responsible for implementing welfare programs, it is the Centre's duty to support these efforts with funds, but the Centre, of late, has been deviating from this principle.

BACKDOOR POLITICS
Siddaramaiah warned the BJP, without taking its name, that people have never forgiven backdoor politics that disregard the people’s mandate. “In a democratic system, it is expected that opposition parties function responsibly in tandem with the principles of the Constitution, by respecting the mandate given by the people of the state. The electorate, with their political acumen, has made it clear in the last Lok Sabha elections that democracy cannot be a puppet in anyone's hands.”

Every beneficiary family was getting between Rs 4000 and Rs 5000 per month under the five guarantee schemes, the CM said. “Karnataka is the only state implementing such a program in a big way, which is being implemented in developed countries to help the poor and we are proud of it.”

Siddaramaiah asserted that these programmes would continue. “We will give a befitting reply through economic growth of the State to those who made the prophecy that the State will go bankrupt by these schemes.”

The CM hinted at innovations to strengthen the Gruha Lakshmi scheme through which the government gives Rs 2000 to a woman head of families. The government was planning to help women organise as Stree Shakti self-help groups and encourage them to take up income generating activities.

The women have already availed 270 crore free bus trips under the Shakti Scheme and saved about Rs. 6,541 crore. Under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, the government has transferred Rs. 25,259 crore to the accounts of 1.20 crore women.

He blamed the Centre for the State being unable to give 5 kg of extra rice free of cost. The government, however, was compensating beneficiaries with cash.