The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday sought to turn the tables on Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H. K. Patil, who had blamed the NDA government for reduction in the State’s allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA).
Mr. Patil had accused the Centre of meting out “step-motherly” treatment to the State as it had reduced the allocation under the job scheme to Karnataka by Rs. 1,200 crore but released full amount of Rs. 4,210 crore at one go to Andhra Pradesh.
BJP State unit president Pralhad Joshi released documents here to indicate that the cut in allocation to Karnataka was because of the decision taken by the UPA government on November 24, 2013 to make MNREGA a demand-based scheme which would follow an “expenditure-based fund release system” from 2014. The State’s allocation had reduced owing to reduction in demand. Pointing out that funds had been released to Andhra Pradesh on May 23, 2014 before the formation of the NDA government, he alleged that the erstwhile UPA dispensation had taken such a decision for political gains.
Similarly, he termed incorrect the allegations that NDA government was responsible for reduction in State’s kerosene quota. He maintained that the UPA government had taken a policy decision in 2008–09 to reduce the allocation of kerosene to States whose LPG coverage has increased. However, the NDA government had decided to restore the full quota of 1.30 lakh kilo litres kerosene for this quarter instead of continuing with the reduction.
