BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said the Siddaramaiah government is going the Himachal Pradesh and Kerala way of bankruptcy. “This government is a 60 per cent commission government, and the State government is not able to pay bills to contractors,” he claimed.
Ashoka told reporters on Tuesday that contractors who have not been paid their bills have written letters seeking mercy killing. The government has to pay Rs 32,000 crore pending bills to contractors who have stopped working, and to pay them, the government is levying higher taxes. Now ASHA workers are staging protests over non-payment of salaries, and the government does not have money to buy tur dal from farmers, he said.
Ashoka alleged that the government is corrupt, and in Bengaluru, citizens have to pay Rs 10 lakh more for residential sites of 30x40 sqft, and Rs 20 lakh more for 40x60 sqft dimension.
He explained that of the budget for 2024-25, the government has been able to achieve only 55.69 per cent of the total announcements made. “Under SCSP funds, of Rs 28,527 crore, only Rs 13,923 crore is spent. “Similarly, under TSP, of Rs 11,515 crore, Rs 4,937 crore is spent. Under the special development scheme, only Rs 1,076 crore of Rs 3,077 crore has been spent,’’ he said. Yet, CM Siddaramaiah claims that work is going on as promised, Ashoka said.
He alleged that the Congress government has reduced allocation for various schemes undertaken by various boards and corporations. “The amount allotted by BJP has been reduced by the Congress government,’’ he said.
Government yet to clear Rs 32K cr contractor bills: HDK
Union minister HD Kumaraswamy said the state government is yet to clear Rs 32,000 crore in contractors’ bills. “Even on these pending bills, your percentage shadow looms large,” the former CM said, hitting out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for demanding proof of the 60% commission allegation against the Congress government.
Kumaraswamy cited media reports as evidence for his allegations against the government. He accused the government of recklessly disbursing funds in the name of guarantees. “Contractors who borrowed loans to complete their work are now being forced to look at mercy killing,” he alleged.