Karnataka ministers demand fair share of union funds; accuse Centre of injustice

Stating that there was a drastic drop in budget allocation, CM Siddaramaiah said Karnataka received only Rs 6,310 crore of the Rs 1,73,030 crore allocated to various states.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda (File Photo)
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BENGALURU: After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, it was the turn of Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to seek more funds from the Union government.

After a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Byre Gowda demanded that Karnataka be given its fair share of funds. 

He said injustice is being done to Karnataka when it comes to release of funds and urged the Union government to rectify the same.

“Why should we be denied our fair share of funds? We’ve sought funds for Karnataka, which have to be rightfully given to us. This is based on the work we have done. Funds should be released without any further delay,” he said.

The revenue minister, however, expressed confidence that the Centre would set right the imbalance in terms of fund release.

“However, speaking defensively, Union minister Chauhan said the state government should first utilise the funds the Centre had already provided. The Union government would provide funds without any delay. He urged the state government to effectively utilise the funds already released and promised that additional resources would be made available. “We will work on increasing the allocation for staff and the ATMA scheme,” Chauhan said.

On Friday, Siddaramaiah accused the Union government of betraying the state in terms of allocation of funds. Stating that there was a drastic drop in budget allocation, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka received only Rs 6,310 crore of the Rs 1,73,030 crore allocated to various states.

This marks a sharp decline compared to previous years, with the state’s allocation falling from Rs 46,288 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 44,485 crore for 2024-25. For 2024-25, it was Rs 15,000 crore.

Siddaramaiah has been raising the issue with the Union government, accusing it of meting out step-motherly treatment to Karnataka in terms of fund allocation.

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