BENGALURU: As the Opposition BJP launched an overnight protest in Bengaluru against a series of price hikes, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, and other ministers justified the State Government’s decision to increase the prices of various commodities and blamed the Union Government’s policies for it.
“The Centre’s policies are responsible for the price hikes. It has happened across the country, not just in Karnataka. In the federal structure, the State and Centre must have good relations. This (price rise) will happen when that is not good,” Dr Parameshwara said, adding that Karnataka is not getting its due in devolution of taxes. Justifying the price hikes. He said that when the state does not get its due from the Centre and asked to mobilize its resources, the State Government has to unavoidably increase prices of some goods.
On the allegations that the State Government is increasing the prices to mobilise funds for its guarantee schemes, the minister said there is no connection between the two as the CM allocated Rs 51,000 crore for the guarantee schemes in the budget.
Shivakumar said that the State Government increased the milk price by Rs 4 per litre to help farmers. He said that the BJP which is protesting against it is anti-farmer. The prices of milk and curds are still lower in Karnataka compared to other Southern states, the DyCM said. BJP is doing politics in this, he said. The DyCM said it has become inevitable to increase the water tariff by one paise per litre and they have instructed the BWSSB not to burden citizens.
RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge also blamed the NDA government’s economic policies for the price rise.