Karnataka’s money used to reward 'misgoverned', 'corruption-ridden' states: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Oct 12: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the Centre of doing injustice to Karnataka by allocating less funds to it in the tax devolution and said questions are needed to be raised about the state's hard-earned contributions being used to reward "misgoverned and corruption-ridden" states.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government came to power, Karnataka has "suffered", the Chief Minister alleged, and stressed on the need to initiate a public debate on how Karnataka, while respecting the federal structure, can secure its rightful share.
"The persistent injustice in tax distribution by the NDA government towards Karnataka is undeniable, with the latest tax share figures serving as clear evidence. Out of a total of Rs 1,78,193 crore allocated to 28 states, Karnataka has been given a meagre Rs 6,498 crore. This gross injustice calls for every Kannadiga, irrespective of caste, religion, or political affiliation, to pledge to raise their voice against such discrimination," Siddaramaiah said.
Let this Vijayadashami, a symbol of victory over injustice, mark the beginning of our collective fight for fairness, he said in a statement.
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Seeking to know what wrong has Karnataka done to deserve such neglect, the CM said, the question every proud Kannadiga must ask the central government is why the state's hard-earned contributions are being used to reward misgoverned and corruption-ridden states.
"Uttar Pradesh, infamous for its poor governance, has been allocated Rs 31,962 crore; Bihar, Rs 17,921 crore; Madhya Pradesh, Rs 13,987 crore; and Rajasthan, Rs 10,737 crore. Why should the sweat and toil of Karnataka fuel the growth of states that have lagged behind due to maladministration?" he questioned.
Noting that despite contributing significantly to the nation's tax revenues, Karnataka receives only 3.64 per cent of the total tax share, far below the 17.93 per cent given for Uttar Pradesh, 10.05 per cent given for Bihar, 6.02 per cent given for Rajasthan, and 7.85 per cent given for Madhya Pradesh, Siddaramaiah said, the central government's discriminatory policies are evident in these figures.
While Karnataka excels in governance and development, the financial rewards are directed towards poorly governed states, he said.
Further he pointed out that the 14th Finance Commission set tax share Karnataka receives 4.713 per cent, but the 15th Finance Commission unjustly reduced it to 3.647 per cent, costing the state approximately Rs 62,275 crore between 2021-2026.
Even when the Finance Commission recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore to compensate for the loss, the central government refused to release the funds, further aggravating the injustice, Siddarmaiah said.
In total, Karnataka lost a staggering Rs 79,770 crore due to unfair tax distribution during this period, he said.
Although Karnataka makes up only 5 per cent of India's population, it contributes 8.4 per cent to the nation's GDP, the CM said, the state ranks second in GST collection and leads the nation in GST growth with a 17 per cent increase. "However, Karnataka receives only 52 per cent of the GST it collects, losing Rs 59,274 crore since the introduction of GST."
"Even though Karnataka contributes Rs 4.5 lakh crore to the national exchequer annually, the state only receives Rs 45,000 crore in tax share and Rs 15,000 crore in grants and a mere 15 paise for every rupee contributed.
How long must we tolerate this gross injustice?" he asked.
Even though the size of the union budget doubled in the past eight years from Rs 24.42 lakh crore in 2018-19 to Rs 48.20 lakh crore in 2024-25, Karnataka's share has stagnated, Siddaramaiah said. In 2018-19, the state received Rs 46,288 crore, while in 2024-25, it is allocated only Rs 44,485 crore, with an additional Rs 15,299 crore in grants.
Karnataka should receive a minimum of Rs1 lakh crore annually, but it has been denied its rightful share, he said.
The 15th Finance Commission recommended Rs 5,495 crore in special grants and additional funds of Rs 6,000 crore for Bengaluru's Peripheral Ring Road and water resource projects. However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected these recommendations, resulting in Karnataka losing Rs 11,495 crore, he added.
India's federal structure relies on cooperation between the union and the state governments, but the central government's biased approach towards Karnataka and other southern states threatens this balance, Siddaramaiah said.
The dream of a 5 trillion USD economy can only be realized with the unwavering contribution of states like Karnataka, yet the central government continues to treat them unfairly.
The abolition of the Planning Commission and its replacement with the NITI Aayog marginalized the state governments, he said adding that changes to the objectives of the 15th Finance Commission drastically hurt the southern states.
Karnataka's tax contributions are being siphoned off to states that have failed to manage their resources, leaving Karnataka struggling during crises like floods and droughts without adequate support from the Centre, the CM said.
"What use is taxation if Karnataka's resources don't serve the people of the state? If the hard-earned money of Kannadigas is not used to wipe their tears in times of crisis, what is the purpose of this federal structure? These are the questions we must confront," he added.
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'Well-planned conspiracy by UP CM Adityanath, BJP-RSS': Cong on Sambhal violence
New Delhi, Nov 24: In the wake of violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the Yogi Adityanath administration is squarely responsible for killing innocents and only the BJP-RSS is guilty of "setting fire" to the peace and harmony there.
The opposition party said the videos of direct firing on the protesters in Sambhal depict the horrifying result of a "well-planned conspiracy" by Adityanath and the BJP-RSS.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said Adityanath's administration has once again shown a blatant disregard for communal harmony.
"In this entire matter, the BJP neither wanted the survey to proceed nor to stop it; its sole objective was to destroy harmony," he alleged.
Three people were killed and scores of others, including around 20 security personnel, were injured as the protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque Sambhal clashed with police on Sunday.
"No citizen in Uttar Pradesh is 'safe' under CM Adityanath, who gave the reprehensible slogan of 'Batenge toh Katenge'. This is evident by the highly deplorable incidents of Sambhal today," Khera said in a statement.
The videos of direct firing on the protesters in Sambhal depict the horrifying result of a "well-planned conspiracy" by Adityanath and the BJP-RSS, he alleged.
Western Uttar Pradesh, which has been a symbol of goodwill and harmony for years, has today witnessed three people killed and many injured under a "well-planned conspiracy", the Congress leader said.
"We say with full responsibility that the Adityanath administration is squarely responsible for killing innocents and only the BJP-RSS is guilty of setting fire to the peace and harmony of Sambhal. Modi-Yogi 'double assault' governments, which consider the minority community as second-class citizens, hurriedly got a petition filed in court," Khera said.
It is public knowledge that the court ordered an immediate survey without hearing the other side, he said.
"No action was taken against the rioters who accompanied the survey team. This makes it clear that after the by-elections in the state, the Yogi government has further intensified the politics of violence and hatred," he added.
The Congress leader said that questions are being raised about the role of the police and the administration because many innocent people have lost their lives in this violence and more than two dozen people have been injured.
"Inciting communal hatred and driving a wedge between two communities - is the DNA of BJP-RSS!" Khera said.
"On one hand, there is an empty slogan of 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hain' - on the other hand, they divide communities! On one hand, there is lie of 'Sabka Saath- Sabka Vishwas' that has been going on for a decade, on the other hand, the minority community is constantly being targeted in Uttar Pradesh," he added.
The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is destroying communal harmony and brotherhood for political gains, which is highly condemnable and objectionable, Khera said.
"We appeal to the BJP to prioritize the nation's interests over their political ambitions," he added.
"We want to ask Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Adityanath whether they will follow the statement of their own Mohan Bhagwat ji in June 2022 (even if it is pretentious!) in which he said that 'History is something that we cannot change. Neither today's Hindus nor today's Muslims made it, it happened at that time.... Why see Shivling in every mosque?.... Now we do not have to do any agitation..?'" Khera said.
"Neither Modi ji, nor Chief Minister Adityanath nor Mohan Bhagwat ji have the answer to this!" he added.
Khera said Rahul Gandhi has been continuously and stridently talked about 'Nafrat Ke Bazaar Mein Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' and in such a situation, an appeal is made to the people of Sambhal to recognise the politics of hatred, maintain mutual unity, amity and harmony, and take steps to protect their rights in a legal manner.
Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said the protesters torched vehicles and pelted stones at the police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.
"Shots were fired by the miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the police circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence," he said.
Singh said that a constable also suffered a serious head injury, while the deputy collector fractured his leg.
Internet services have been suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday on November 25 for all students up to Class 12.
Purported images shared on social media showed the protesters pelting stones at cops from atop buildings and in front of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Later, the police personnel were purportedly seen cornering and hitting people as they tried to disperse a large crowd in a narrow alleyway.
Our statement on the tragic and avoidable riots in Sambhal:
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) November 24, 2024
संभल में हुए दुखद एवं परिहार्य दंगों पर कांग्रेस पार्टी का वक्तव्य: pic.twitter.com/uOpKjYbw8g
