BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Wednesday slammed the state government for increasing taxes and introducing more taxes as the government does not have funds to take up development work. He said the government is indulging in “tax terrorism”.
Initiating the discussion, Ashoka pointed out that they are not able to see any development work in the past two-and-half years since the Congress government came to power in Karnataka. It’s not just opposition party members who are slamming the state government for not getting grants, even Congress MLAs and ministers have raised the issue and are openly making statements against their own government.
Ashoka said milk price has been increased twice, petrol price twice, garbage cess has doubled, the price of liquor, power and many essentials has also increased. The government has become bankrupt and doesn’t have funds even to repair roads. “There are more than 1,000 potholes only on roads connecting in and around Vidhana Soudha. They claimed they will make Brand Bengaluru, but it has become bad Bengaluru,’’ he said.
On the tunnel road, Ashoka said Deputy CM DK Shivakumar had said Rs 17,000crore would be spent on the project. This will become like another Yettinahole project and may require Rs 1 lakh crore. “At present, for a stretch of 16.5km, you want to fix toll of Rs 700, and if the cost of the tunnel road increases, you will increase the toll fee. Who will use it, it will be of no use,’’ he said.