Don’t divert funds allocated for marginalised communities: K’taka BJP urges Siddaramaiah ahead of budget
Bengaluru, Feb 20 (IANS) Karnataka BJP has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to divert the funds allocated for the marginalised communities in the budget for the financial year 2025-26 scheduled to be presented on March 7.
BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra stated that since Siddaramaiah is going to present his “last” budget on March 7, the BJP demands Siddaramaiah not to divert the funds allocated for the marginalised communities.
“We had organised a workshop in this regard for leaders to create awareness among the community across the state in this regard,” he stated.
He was speaking at a preparatory workshop on the ‘Public Movement Against the Misuse of SCP-TSP Funds by the Anti-Dalit Congress Government in Karnataka’ at the BJP state headquarters, “Jagannath Bhavan” in Bengaluru.
Vijayendra warned that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities have been continuously subjected to injustice. He stated that if people do not remain vigilant, the government will repeat the same actions in the upcoming budget.
He emphasised the need to fight for the rights of the SC/ST communities.
He stated that in order for the BJP to regain power in Karnataka, it is essential to raise its voice for the oppressed and marginalised sections of society.
Criticising the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Vijayendra said that Congress leaders often claim to be the saviours of the AHINDA (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits), but in reality, they have done great injustice to SC/ST communities.
He pointed out that the BJP is committed to the concept of “Antyodaya” (upliftment of the last person in society) and ensuring benefits reach the most marginalised.
Vijayendra further alleged that in the last financial year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced an allocation of Rs 39,914 crore for the SCP-TSP scheme. However, only Rs 23,485 crore was actually released, and of that, only Rs 20,404 crore was spent.
He highlighted that the BJP has launched several protests in the past against the Congress government’s misuse of funds meant for the SC/ST communities.
He warned that Siddaramaiah is set to present another budget soon, and if action is not taken now, the funds meant for these communities will again be diverted elsewhere.
Drawing attention to a recent statement by the Karnataka Energy Minister, Vijayendra noted that various departments, including PWD and irrigation, have pending bills amounting to Rs 6,000 crore.
He questioned whether this was due to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s lack of experience or his helplessness in implementing the Congress government’s guarantee schemes, which he claimed have pushed Karnataka into financial distress.
Accusing the state of heading towards bankruptcy, Vijayendra said that the government does not have enough funds to pay salaries to government employees, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has dues of Rs 7,000 crore, and the state is struggling to pay electricity bills.
He reiterated his demand for the government to release a white paper on the state’s financial situation.
He criticised the Congress for using B.R. Ambedkar’s name in every election while failing to uplift the oppressed communities.
He accused the Congress of portraying itself as a government that fulfils all its promises, while in reality, farmers, the poor, and youth continue to suffer under its administration.
He asserted that the Congress government should have prioritised the economic, educational, and social upliftment of the SC/ST communities. However, he claimed that despite frequently invoking Ambedkar’s name, the Congress has continuously betrayed these communities.
“Unfortunately, after Siddaramaiah’s government came to power in Karnataka, the money meant for welfare for those communities has been diverted. More than Rs 15,000 crore has been diverted in the last financial year,” he added.
–IANS
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