Nothing pending from Centre to Karnataka, says FM Sitharaman, rejecting Cong govt charges
Bengaluru, Nov 30: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman on Thursday said there is "nothing pending" from the Central government to Karnataka and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the drought relief to the state, which is due, will be decided once the high-power committee decides.
Speaking to reporters here, she said because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been Chief Minister of a state for more than 10 years, he knows what it is for states to get their money in time.
"The state government can throw the allegations. He can send me the letter and much before the letter reaches me he can put it in social media, the minister or the chief minister. And I say not just this in Bengaluru, I've even, two days ago, when I was in Kerala, I said that," Sitharaman said in response to a question on Congress government here alleging delay in release of Central funds to Karnataka.
"There is nothing pending from our side for Karnataka, I'm a MP from the state, I have a responsibility also. There's nothing pending. Well if the state doesn't send me the required paper, I will keep waiting for the paper to send it. I can't send money, without authorisation of the Accountant General. So that's the truth behind any allegation, the allegation without facts in them," the Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had last month alleged that the BJP-led Union government has burdened our state by not releasing funds for 61 Centrally sponsored schemes across 23 departments, and slashing Karnataka's tax share, resulting in a Rs 45,000 crore loss since 2020.
To add to that, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who supposedly represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, decided not to approve the Rs 5,495 crore special grant that was promised, he had posted on 'X', adding that "alarmingly, Karnataka receives just 15 paise for every rupee it contributes in tax."
Responding to a question on the release of NDRF funds for drought relief to Karnataka, Sitharaman said, "For NDRF, there is a committee. The Home Minister looks into it. I had Minister (Revenue Minister of Karnataka) Krishna Byre Gowda come and meet me. Even there I explained to him saying the money whichever is being decided will be -- and the SDRF money is in the hands of the state government to spend."
Stating that it's not as if NDRF money will not come, she said, "the assessment team, the technical team, they all came and made a team assessment, they've submitted to the high powered committee. The moment the committee recommends the money is going to come. It is due to the state. Nobody's going to stop it."
The Karnataka government has declared 223 out of the total 236 taluks in the state as drought hit, and the state government has been repeatedly attacking the Centre for delay in release of drought relief funds, as per NDRF norms.
The FM further said, for the north Karnataka farmers, she has asked the ITC group to come and procure stock that is there with them, so that immediately some money can go into the hands of the farmers. "Even that team has come."
Sitharaman today visited a 'Jan Aushadi Kendra' on Subedar Chatram Road here.
Noting that the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the landmark 10,000th Jan Aushadi Kendra at AIIMS, Deoghar in Jharkhand, the FM said, all over the country Jan Aushadi Kendras are steadily becoming popular among families. Particularly the middle class and also the poorer sections are getting better informed that the same medicine equally effective is available as a generic medicine drug.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
