BENGALURU: Ahead of the budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is under pressure from MLAs, especially from his own party, as they are demanding Rs 100 crore for each assembly constituency. Reason: Bad roads across the state.
With road works not taken up in a big way in the last couple of years, MLAs are demanding funds for the same. In the last two years, the CM had allotted Rs 50 crore per constituency, but MLAs were not happy.
In 2025, after the MLAs resisted openly, the CM had to sanction Rs 50 crore which he had announced in the budget. This was constituency development grants earmarked for roads, bridges and other works.
The MLAs say the Rs 50 crore allocated over the past two years has been insufficient, with most of it spent on repairing works. “Road works in constituencies are taken up through State Highways, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) or Public Works Department (PWD) depending on the region.
As major road works have not been taken up for the past two to three years due to Guarantee Schemes, the government is not able to allocate funds for these works. People are questioning the MLAs,” a senior Congress MLA said.
The MLA said that every time it rains, or any accident or any pothole is visible, people question them. “They even share it on social media, which may damage our reputation. We have pending amount to be given, if the CM allots Rs 50 crore even this time, it will go to pending bills, so we are urging the CM to make it Rs 100 crore,’’ the MLA said.
CMO sources said if the CM approves to allocate Rs 100 crore per assembly constituency, it will be over Rs 22,000 crore, which may be high. MLAs are appealing to the CM to allocate even Rs 150 crore, sources said.
Transport Minister and senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the previous BJP government did not give Congress MLAs sufficient funds, which has led to bad roads. He urged the CM to allocate Rs 100 crore per constituency for the next two years. He said that interior roads are not in a good condition. This may require more grants, he added.
MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy, Financial Advisor to the CM, said there is a demand to increase grants to Rs 100 crore but the decision is left to the CM.
‘ANNOUNCE PLAN FOR VISHWA KANNADA SAMMELANA’
Bengaluru: State Policy and Planning Commission member S Mohandass Hegde has proposed organising the Vishwa Kannada Sammelana-2026 (a global conclave of Kannada language, culture, literature & innovation) and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to announce it in Friday’s budget. The first sammalana was held in Mysuru in 1985 under the chairmanship of litterateur Dr Shivaram Karanth and inaugurated by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.
In 2011, it was held in Belagavi when B S Yediyurappa was CM. Hegde wrote to CM to create an opportunity to continue the legacy. As organising it may cost Rs 100 crore, he also suggested that CSR partnerships and cultural grants could also be used as a source. It will strengthen international visibility of Kannada language, literature and research, he stated.