Bengaluru, Feb 3 Reacting to the criticism by the Congress leadership over the Union Budget 2025-26 and the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Karnataka BJP said on Monday that the state has received more than the allocated funds from the Central government, adding that "there is no substance in criticism on Union Budget".
Addressing a press conference at his office in Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, "Last year, Karnataka was supposed to receive Rs 44,485.49 crore in assistance from the Central government. However, the state received even more -- Rs 46,937.72 crore. Despite this, some people continue to falsely claim that the state has received nothing."
"An additional Rs 2,400 crore was granted, yet they are still alleging injustice. This is GST revenue. Has the Congress acknowledged anywhere that Karnataka received Rs 2,500 crore extra? Even now, they continue to say that the state has received nothing," he said while criticising the Congress-led state government.
"In this year's Budget, Karnataka has been allocated 10 per cent more than last year. This means the state will receive Rs 51,876.54 crore in funding. Given this, how can they claim that there is no benefit?" Narayanaswamy asked.
"For railway projects in the state alone, Rs 7,564 crore has been allocated. This amount is separate from the GST revenue provided to the state. How does Chief Minister Siddaramaiah present funds for Scheduled Castes in Karnataka's Budget? He claims that Rs 39,000 crore has been allocated for SC/ST development. However, a major portion of that money is transferred to fund the guarantee schemes, effectively giving with one hand and taking away with the other," he said.
He further said: "In one year, Rs 11,000 crore was taken; the next year, Rs 14,000 crore -- altogether, Rs 25,000 crore meant for Dalits was misused. When questioned, they do not provide answers. In reality, such funds must be allocated to specific departments. Instead, they announce only a lump sum amount to mislead people."
"The Central government's funds remain within the respective departments and are spent accordingly. They do not announce an overall amount," he added.
"Contrary to Congress's claims, the Union Budget is not designed with a focus on a single state. Similarly, when the state government prepares its Budget, it does not allocate funds district by district. The same principle applies to the national budget -- it is not presented by specifying allocations for each state. Saying that Karnataka has received nothing is ridiculous," Narayanaswamy said.
For example, the Budget includes funding for several projects in Karnataka: Rs 178 crore for the Channasandra railway line project; Rs 28 crore for the Kadur–Chikkamagaluru–Sakaleshpur railway line; a total of 22 projects in Karnataka have been funded in this budget, he added.
Union Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, has already responded to Congress's allegations.
Meanwhile, the middle class is highly satisfied with this Budget, Narayaswamy said.
"The Union Budget has received praise from all corners. People across the country have expressed their appreciation in various ways. However, since the Congress government in Karnataka is opposed to the Central government, they are bound to criticise it. But their criticisms lack substance," he added.
"The Congress may not have received anything, but the people of the country have gained significantly from this Budget. On social media, people have widely lauded the Budget as one of the best and most forward-thinking ones in Independent India's history. They have openly appreciated it as a development-oriented Budget," he said while praising the Union Budget.
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