"Don't Get A Rupee From Centre": Siddaramaiah Amid Row Over Infrastructure

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre for not giving "a rupee" to the state and even questioned the reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that was introduced before Diwali.

He also slammed the state BJP leaders' "silence" on the "injustice" meted out to Karnataka and sought to know why they never raised the matter with the Centre.

The developments came at a time when the state government has come under criticism over the "poor state of roads and traffic issues", especially in Bengaluru, with industry veterans like former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Shaw repeatedly openly asking for intervention. 

"We don't get a rupee from the Centre. Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, we pay one of the highest taxes; the people living in the city should know that out of every rupee Karnataka gives the Centre, as taxes we get back only 14-15 paisa. Is this enough?" Siddaramaiah said.

The Congress leader alleged that if the state asks for more money, then the matter is politicised. "Even in GST, they collected high taxes for eight years and now they put photos of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, saying it's a Diwali gift. Is this justice? Shouldn't we teach them a lesson? Is this even a gift?" he said.

Early last month, the GST Council approved a complete overhaul of India's tax consumption tax since its launch in 2017, slashing duties on household essentials, medicines, small cars and appliances and affecting everything from toothpaste and insurance to tractors and cement. The council approved the rate overhaul by limiting slabs to 5 per cent and 18 per cent, as the Centre seeks to boost domestic spending and cushion the economic blow of the US tariffs imposed on Indian goods. 

"The people vote for the BJP but the party leaders never questioned the injustice meted out to Karnataka or asked for more funds that the state deserves. There is that south MP, (Tejasvi) Surya, I call him 'amavasya'. Even the other MP, Shobha Karandlaje... they never opened their mouths in the matter," the Chief Minister said.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP at the time of filing this report but earlier in the day, party leader R Ashoka alleged the Congress government under the state will fall by the end of the year.

Last week, Shaw reignited the debate over Bengaluru's infrastructure by sharing a visiting overseas executive's critical comments on the city's roads and garbage. Her remarks prompted Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the minister in charge of Bengaluru development, to say the city deserves collective effort, not constant criticism.

In March, Siddaramaiah slammed the Centre for "not releasing the announced grants" for the state, which include funds for the Bhadra dam project, pensions for poor, elderly citizens and the needy, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Earlier this month, he said he would approach the courts if necessary to secure the state's rightful share of central funds.