D.K. Shivakumar says funds for Jayanagar held back after comment by BJP legislator C.K. Ramamurthy

Amidst a controversy over the alleged holding back of funds for Jayanagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday acknowledged that funds, under descretionary quota, had been held back over a certain comment made by BJP legislator C.K. Ramamurthy in public.

“I have deliberately not provided funds to Jayanagar because he has said that after I became the Minister for Bengaluru, the city has deteriorated,” the Deputy Chief Minister told presspersons here. His statement came when his comments were sought on the lack of funds for the development of Jayanagar constituency, in the backdrop of protests against the decision to withhold funds.

Discretionary quota

“I have given funds to Rajarajeshwarinagar, Padmanabhanagar, Bommanahalli, and Dasarahalli constituencies (all represented by BJP legislators). It’s a discretionary grant given to the Deputy Chief Minister. He is saying that Bengaluru has deteriorated. Let me see what is that deterioration,” said Mr. Shivakumar.

When asked for comments on the Congress legislators claiming that development grants are not coming for constituencies, he said, “There is a procedure. We can’t give a constituency ₹100 crore just because they ask for it. Constituencies will receive funding based on needs and there are calculations for that.”

On PDS system

The Deputy Chief Minister said that no poor and eligible beneficiaries of the public distribution system will be removed from the BPL category, and clarified that only those who are ineligible are being removed. “In case the name of a genuine poor beneficiary gets deleted, he will be allowed to apply again and get back the benefits. The government is working for the poor. What has the Opposition done for the poor when it was in power?”

Mr. Shivakumar also sought to know where the ₹1,000 crore that had been raised to “purchase” Congress legislators, as claimed by BJP legislator Basannagouda Patil Yatnal, was parked. “Is it in the residence of B.S. Yeddyurappa, R. Ashok, B.Y. Vijayendra, C.N. Ashwathnarayan or H.D. Kumaraswamy?” he asked.

Published - November 20, 2024 07:00 am IST