Accusing the BJP-led State Government of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards the Kalyana Karnataka region, Member of Legislative Assembly Priyank Kharge has said that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has failed to keep the promise he made to the people of the region during his visit to participate in the Kalyana Karnataka Utsav in Kalaburagi.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Kharge said that Mr. Bommai has failed to allocate adequate funds for the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board and also to take up works on Phase III of the Upper Krishna Project. The chief Minister has also gone back on his promise to organise an investment meet in Kalaburagi. Mr. Kharge slammed the Centre for the withdrawl of the proposed mega textile park on 1,000 acres of land sanctioned for Kalaburagi district.
Providing details of the funds released to KKRDB, Mr. Kharge said that the State Government had approved only ₹1,125 crore against an allocation of ₹1,500 crore for the board during 2019-20. And, 77% of the total 4,049 works have been completed. In 2020-21, the government has released only ₹1,000 crore against an approval for ₹1,131 crore and only 16% of the total 2,234 works have been completed. Similarly, in 2021-22, the State Government has sanctioned ₹1,492 crore of which only ₹415 crore was released.
In the past three financial years [2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22], the State Government has released ₹2,572.02 crore against the sanctioned funds of ₹4,124.83 crore, Mr. Kharge said and urged the State Government to release the balance funds of ₹1,921.81 crore (including ₹369 crore) to complete all the pending works taken up under KKRDB.
Suspecting alleged misappropriation of funds released to various works through KKRDB, Mr. Kharge sought investigation of payments released and also identify the beneficiaries.
Mr. Kharge said that the government has failed to take steps to curb Omicron spread and also to monitor the cases.
Meanwhile, continuing his tirade against Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav, Mr. Kharge threatened that he will file a criminal case against Mr. Jadhav if he fails to reveal the truth behind the alleged forged signature of Ramrao Maharaj on the memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Union government include the Banjara community under the Scheduled Castes list. Mr. Kharge also questioned the silence of Mr. Jadhav in the matter.
