BENGALURU: Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda said he has accepted the civil society’s invitation for an open debate with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on issues of fiscal federalism and tax devolution.
“I have accepted the invite of civil society to debate issues of fiscal federalism and injustices to Karnataka with truth and facts. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and myself had invited the Union Finance Minister for an open debate. I hope she will participate,” Byregowda stated.
Jagruta Karnataka and some pro-Kannada organisations have invited the ministers for the debate at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on Saturday evening.
Jagruta Karnataka member Rajashekar Akki said they have written to the Union Finance Minister, inviting her for debate. She had stated during her recent visit to Mysuru and on several occasions that Karnataka has received its share of funds from the Centre, but ministers in Karnataka have refuted her claim, the organisation stated in its email to the Union Minister.
Byregowda said he is ready for the debate and asked if Sitharaman is ready for it. The minister said the Union Government is doing injustice to the state in tax devolution. The Centre has to provide special grants of Rs 11,495 crore to the state, but the Finance Minister claims that the Finance Commission had not made any such recommendation, he said. Byregowda appealed to Sitharaman to take part in the open debate to put an end to confusion among people over the devolution of taxes.
However, BJP dubbed it as a Congress-sponsored programme organised during the elections. Sitharaman will be in Bengaluru on Saturday, but she will not take part in the debate, said a BJP leader. Several BJP leaders, including Sitharaman and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, have spoken about tax devolution and Central grants to Karnataka on several occasions, the BJP leader said.