CM Siddaramaiah announces Rs 50 cr to each assembly segment for MLAs to carry out development work
Bengaluru, Jul 18 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to MLAs announcing that Rs 50 crore will be allocated to their assembly constituencies for the development work.
There has been discontent among the legislators, including those from the ruling Congress, about lack of fund allocation for development work in their constituencies.
"Under the Chief Minister's Infrastructure Development Programme announced in the State Budget for the year 2025-26, a special grant of Rs 50.00 crores will be allocated to your assembly constituency," Siddaramaiah said in a letter dated July 15 to MLAs.
It said, "The amount of grant for the works has been fixed as follows. Public Works Department, road and bridge works, rural road and bridge, and urban area works: Rs 37.50 crore. Other departmental works that may be selected by the members of the Legislative Assembly at their discretion: Rs 12.50 crore."
MLAs have been asked to provide details of the works in a specified format along with their demand letter to the Chief Minister, it said, adding that a district-wise meeting of MLAs has been arranged on July 30 and 31 in Room No.-313, Committee Room, 3rd Floor, Vidhana Soudha, and the legislators have been asked to attend the meeting along with details of the works.
Though the letter nowhere specifies the allocation of funds is only for Congress MLAs, the BJP and JD(S), however, have alleged discrimination. Official sources too have said that the funds will be released to all MLAs.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, urging the CM to provide equal funding for all MLAs to ensure balanced development, alleged discrimination stating that the BJP and JD(S) MLAs will be given Rs 25 crore, as per the information he has got.
"No development has happened in the last two years. Congress MLAs have themselves said that they are unable to show their face in the constituency. Now there is a circular stating allocation of Rs 50 crore has come, but the BJP and JD(S) MLAs are being discriminated against, as there is information that they will be given Rs 25 crore. This is only information, there is no guarantee yet," he told reporters.
JD(S) has also questioned Siddaramaiah, whether he is the chief minister of the entire state or only for Congress MLAs?
"Is it right to give a grant of Rs 50 crore only for the development of the constituencies of Congress MLAs? Is it right to discriminate by not giving grants to the constituencies of the MLAs of BJP and JD(S)," the party asked in a post on 'X'.
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.
PM Modi is controlled by Donald Trump, wants to do the same in TN: Rahul Gandhi
Ranipet (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was being "controlled" by US President Donald Trump and that the PM wanted the AIADMK to capture power so that he could control Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
Also, he claimed that the prime minister "handed out our energy security and gave away our data, besides selling our farmers and small and medium industries."
"You saw yesterday (in Parliament) the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi completely lacking confidence," Rahul said on the delimitation bill.
"He (PM) could not even face the opposition. He was sitting sideways. And the reason is, he is controlled by the United States. He signed the India-US deal that sold our country out," Rahul said while addressing an election rally here.
He further said, "Today, if Donald Trump tells Modi to jump, Modi jumps. If Donald Trump tells Modi to lie down, Modi lies down. Why? Because Donald Trump controls Modi fully. How does he control him? He controls through the Epstein files. He controls him because he knows Modi's financial systems and understands Modi's link with Adani," the Congress leader alleged.
Just as he was being controlled by Trump, Modi wanted to do the same to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. "That is why he wants to put AIADMK in power in TN," Rahul said.
The Union government had rejected references to PM Modi in the latest Jeffrey Epstein case files, describing it as “little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal that deserves to be dismissed with the utmost contempt”.
