Is Siddaramaiah Leading Karnataka Toward Bankruptcy?

Bengaluru, June 24 (NationPress) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi has stated that Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has reflected the state's financial crisis, echoing the concerns of several MLAs.

“This is nothing short of disgraceful,” he commented.

While addressing reporters in Delhi, Joshi mentioned, “In Badami, the Home Minister openly declared that 'Siddaramanna (CM Siddaramaiah) lacks funds for development', thereby revealing the critical state of Karnataka’s economy. By admitting to an empty state treasury, he has acknowledged the government’s financial turmoil.

Joshi criticized this admission, urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to confront the failures of his administration.

He accused Siddaramaiah, who previously positioned himself as a financial authority, of steering a once economically viable Karnataka towards bankruptcy.

“Since his return as Chief Minister for a second term, he has plunged the state's economy into chaos,” Joshi alleged.

“Karnataka now ranks first in corruption,” Joshi asserted.

He pointed out that the reality of the state’s financial collapse due to unscientific guarantee schemes has been recognized by the CM’s own economic advisor and Congress MLA, Basavaraj Rayareddy.

Furthermore, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar's audacious comment -- ‘We will allocate the Gruha Lakshmi scheme funds only after revenue is collected’-- has only confirmed the deteriorating financial state of the government, Joshi added.

Even Energy Minister K.J. George, a close ally of the CM, acknowledged that there are insufficient funds for development. Subsequently, MLA B.R. Patil revealed extensive corruption within the Housing Department, shedding light on the mismanagement of the corrupt Congress government. Yet, CM Siddaramaiah continues to take a lenient approach towards Housing Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, Joshi criticized.

Additionally, MLA Raju Kage has gone further, claiming that funds are not being allocated for constituency development and that the administrative system has completely collapsed. He has even threatened to resign. Another MLA, N.Y. Gopalakrishna, expressed that “there isn’t even enough money to construct a single drainage system.”

“How many more MLAs must express their discontent before the bankruptcy of the Congress government is irrefutable?” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi questioned.

Amid growing embarrassment for the Congress government in Karnataka, fueled by statements from its own senior MLAs, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara recently ignited further controversy by stating that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no remaining funds as everything has been allocated to the populace in the form of rations.

Continuing his critique of the Siddaramaiah administration in Karnataka, senior Congress MLA Raju Kage, representing the Kagawada Assembly constituency, noted that he had communicated his concerns to both the Chief Minister and Deputy CM, but received no response.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kage, who had previously warned of his readiness to resign over the lack of work orders for the past two years, reiterated his profound disappointment with the current situation.

On Monday, MLA Raju Kage remarked that although funds for development activities in his constituency had been released, no work orders had been issued, prompting him to consider leaving the party.

“I might resign from the party,” he said, igniting political controversy.

Congress MLA and Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, B.R. Patil, alleged that housing allocations are being made based on bribes.