Siddaramaiah raking up North-South divide is a typical characteristic of Cong leaders: Amit Malviya
Bengaluru, Feb 6: BJP's IT cell in charge Amit Malviya on Tuesday hit out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for raking up the North-South divide and said it was a typical characteristic of Congress leaders, who are trusted allies of the 'Tukde Tukde' gang.
His statements come ahead of the state Congress unit's protest in New Delhi under the leadership of Siddaramaiah against the Centre's alleged injustice to Karnataka by the union government when it comes to tax devolution and grants-in-aid.
Taking to the micro-blogging site 'X', Malviya said Siddaramaiah should examine the funds Bengaluru gets versus the regions like Kalyana Karnataka' and Kalaburagi.
"Does he care about the unfair treatment of Bengaluru? This approach (raking up North-South divide) to politics is deplorable and is a typical characteristic of Congress leaders, who are trusted allies of the Tukde Tukde' gang," the BJP IT Cell Chief said.
'Tukde Tukde' gang is a phrase used by the BJP to refer to alleged sympathisers of separatists.
Such tactics not only undermine unity but also pose significant risk to social harmony, he cautioned.
According to Malviya, Siddaramaiah's demand for Rs 5,495 crore special grant was a 'lie'. "The 15th FC did not recommend Special Grant to any State. There is no such recommendation to accept or reject. It is a figment of his imagination."
The Centre has not only devolved taxes, but also given Rs 6,212 crore as 50-year interest-free loans to boost Karnataka's capital expenditure as on December 11, 2023, he explained.
Malviya further called Siddaramaiah's expectation of 15 per cent growth rate in tax revenue a 'joke and a lie', given that Covid hit state GDP for two years.
The Karnataka CM ignored the life-saving mobility restrictions and uses a flawed indicator of tax performance, he noted.
Tax buoyancy is a better indicator to measure, which shows how tax revenue responds to GDP growth, Malviya said adding that it has soared from 0.72 before GST to 1.22 after it, proving GST's positive effect on tax efficiency and compliance.
"His (Siddaramaiah's) view is a deliberate distortion of the truth and an insult to the GST's benefits," the BJP leader said.
Pointing out that the devolution of funds to states is based on rational criteria, laid out in Article 280, Malviya said it ensures fair distribution of resources.
"Centre's tax devolution to Karnataka has increased by 245.7%, reaching ?2.82 lakh crore (under Modi Govt), compared to ?81,795 crore under the UPA. This contradicts the false claim of financial neglect or adverse impact due to the revised tax share percentages," he charged.
The Centre's Grants in Aid to Karnataka have also surged by 243 per cent, with Rs 2.08 lakh crore already released, compared to Rs 60,779 crore under the UPA.
The projected grants-in-aid by the end of Modi Govt's term totals up to Rs 2.26 lakh crore, he added.
Alleging injustice to Karnataka by the central government with reduction in tax devolution, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had on Sunday said this has resulted in a loss of over Rs 45,000 crore to the state in the last four years.
He also claimed that the taxes paid by Kannadigas were not useful for the state's difficult times, and the money was going to northern states.
Siddaramaiah’s expectation of 15% growth rate in tax revenue is a joke and a lie, given that Covid hit state GDP for two years. He ignores the life-saving mobility restrictions and uses a flawed indicator of tax performance. Tax buoyancy is a better indicator to measure, which… https://t.co/X8co18MwaH
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 5, 2024
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
