KALABURAGI: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa should release a white paper on the finances of the state, Chittapur MLA and former minister Priyank Kharge said on Thursday. “The state’s finances have worsened, and it does not have the money to pay salaries,” Kharge said during a press conference. The government also does not have the wherewithal to release the pensions of retired employees of road transport corporations, and other government employees, he said.
Compensation to flood-affected people too has not yet been released, he said, but Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan has announced a grant of Rs 1.5 crore to each of around 600 gram panchayats in the state, which works out to around Rs 9,000 crore. “Where will he get that money?” he questioned.
Around 1,500 guest lecturers have not received honorarium since March and the government has not yet taken a clear decision on regularising the services of about 1,000 guest lecturers working in 428 colleges. Already, the government has decided to borrow Rs 33,000 crore, Kharge said.
The chief minister himself had admitted in the budget speech that Karnataka had received a meagre amount from the Centre as its share of taxes and duties collected by the Union government, whereas Uttar Pradesh had received the highest amount.
“The MPs of the state don’t have the guts to ask the prime minister and finance minister about this,” Kharge said. He also slammed Deputy Chief Minister Goving Karjol for not visiting Kalaburagi, the district he is in charge of. “He had the time to visit Sira and other places, but no time to visit flood-affected areas of Kalaburagi,” Kharge said.