CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to ensure fair fund allocation to K'taka under 16th Finance Commission
Raichur (Karnataka), Jun 23 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday urged the central government to ensure fair allocation of funds to the State under the 16th Finance Commission, claiming that it has suffered a loss of around Rs 80,000 crore in allocations compared to the 14th Finance Commission.
Addressing the media here, he criticised BJP MPs from Karnataka, alleging that "not a single saffron party MP has raised their voice on this serious injustice to the state."
Siddaramaiah alleged that despite being an influential minister close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has failed to secure the release of Rs 11,495 crore recommended as a special grant to Karnataka by the Finance Commission.
"He has no moral right to talk about Karnataka’s interests when this rightful grant is yet to be released," he claimed.
Siddaramaiah reiterated the state’s demand for a special grant from the Centre for the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region.
Karnataka already allocates Rs 5,000 crore annually for the region’s growth, and it is only fair that the union government also contributes, he said.
He added that his government will also examine the proposal to create a dedicated Ministry for Kalyana Karnataka to further strengthen development efforts.
Reacting to Minister H K Patil’s letter on illegal mining, Siddaramaiah acknowledged the recommendation to establish a special court to expedite investigations and recover dues from illegal mining cases.
He recalled that the Santosh Hegde Lokayukta report on illegal mining remains inadequately addressed and referred to his role in raising the issue in the Assembly, including participation in the Bellary padayatra against illegal mining in the past.
Regarding the concerns raised by Congress MLA Raju Kage about the lack of development activities in his Kagwad constituency, the CM assured that he would hold discussions with the MLA and that special grants would be prioritised for constituencies in need.
On MLA Belur Gopalakrishna’s reported statement regarding alleged corruption in housing schemes for the poor, Siddaramaiah said he would gather further details and informed that MLA B R Patil is scheduled to meet him on June 25 to discuss issues related to the Housing Department.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Police seize 1,220 Kerala lottery tickets worth Rs 72,000
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka police seized 1,220 Kerala lottery tickets valued at approximately Rs 72,000 that were being transported for illegal resale, officials said on Tuesday.
They were seized by law enforcement personnel, who intercepted a vehicle carrying the tickets on a route from Bandadka in neighbouring Kerala towards Karnataka, police sources said.
According to police, the accused had allegedly purchased the lottery tickets across the Kerala border and was moving them to Sampaje for resale at marked-up prices, officials said.
The practice of transporting and selling lottery tickets from Kerala is banned under the Karnataka Lottery Prohibition Act, and authorities said the seizure was part of ongoing efforts to crack down on the illegal lottery trade.
The police detained the person found in possession of the tickets during checks conducted as part of regular surveillance near border areas and a case has been registered at the local police station, officials added.
Police noted that despite the state government's ban on lottery sales, Kerala State lottery tickets are often smuggled into Karnataka for unlawful resale, particularly in villages and towns along the Kerala-Karnataka border. Enforcement agencies have stepped up vigilance in recent months to curb the circulation of such tickets.
The arrested individual is likely to be charged under relevant sections of the Karnataka Lottery and Prize Competitions Control and Tax Act. Further investigation is underway, police said.
