Bengaluru, Feb 19 Claiming that the Karnataka government was struggling to pay salaries to its employees, the BJP on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to issue a white paper on the state's financial situation.
Speaking at a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Karnataka BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra questioned whether the state's consolidated funds were being used properly or misused.
He claimed to finance the guarantee schemes, the Siddaramaiah government increased property registration fees by 600 per cent, property guidance value by 30 per cent, vehicle registration fees by 10 per cent, hospital service charges by 5 per cent, electricity rates by 14.5 per cent, water tariffs by 30 per cent, and milk prices by 15 per cent.
Expressing concern, Vijayendra said Karnataka has reached a "dire financial state" where the government is "struggling" to pay salaries and clear electricity dues.
He also pointed out that there has been no mention of the Yuva Nidhi scheme by the Congress-led government under which unemployed graduates were promised Rs 3,000 and diploma holders Rs 1,500 per month for two years.
He alleged that funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Tribes were being diverted to finance the guarantee schemes.
Calling CM Siddaramaiah a "master of lies," Vijayendra said the state government cannot even fix a pothole in Bengaluru, yet it talks about building underground tunnels.
"They release funds for guarantees during Lok Sabha elections and again during by-elections. Now, there is a possibility of distributing money during district and taluk panchayat elections as well," he said.
He pointed out that cities like Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi have not increased metro fares, whereas in Karnataka, the hike was due to the Congress government’s insistence.
He claimed that payments under the Gruha Laxmi scheme (Rs 2,000 per month for women heads of BPL families) have been delayed for five to six months, and even the promised 5 kilograms of free rice is not being provided.
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