Karnataka’s claim on funds utterly baseless: Nirmala
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed concerns about alleged fiscal bias against Karnataka, dismissing claims of fund withholding, ANI reported.
Speaking at an informal interaction organised by the Thinkers Forum in Bengaluru on March 24, Sitharaman assured that all dues to the state were duly accounted for and disbursed on schedule.
Refuting allegations, Sitharaman clarified that the purported special grant of ₹5,495 crore for Karnataka was unfounded, as the Finance Commission’s final report did not recommend such grants.
She also highlighted the government’s efforts in implementing schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which provides free rations to 80 crore people nationwide and 30.5 lakh individuals in urban Bengaluru monthly.
“The claim that ₹5,495 crore as a special grant was not released for Karnataka is totally false. The Finance Commission, in its final report, did not recommend any such special grants. Under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, 80 crore people all across the country and 30.5 lakh from urban Bengaluru get free rations at home every month. I want to flag those guarantees that we fulfilled to help the common people, especially the poor. In urban Bengaluru, 14.68 lakh Jan-Dhan accounts were opened as against 52 crore across the country,” she said.