Bengaluru, Feb 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to allocate at least Rs 15,000 crore in the upcoming Budget for implementing the recommendations of the Prof. Govinda Rao Committee to address regional imbalance in the state.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, Ashoka said, "The Congress party has been in power in the state for the longest period, and Siddaramaiah has presented the highest number of Budgets. Therefore, they are directly responsible for the prevailing regional imbalance."
He demanded that adequate funds be earmarked in the Budget to correct this "lapse".
He cautioned that the government should not make "inflated" claims by consolidating allocations made to other departments or institutions and presenting them as funds meant for addressing disparity.
Allocations made to bodies such as the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board and other development boards or corporations should not be included in this calculation, he underlined.
A separate and exclusive allocation must be provided specifically for eliminating regional disparity. Otherwise, people of the state may conclude that there is no correlation between the government's words and actions, he warned.
Ashoka alleged that the proportion of backward taluks identified by the Prof. D.M. Nanjundappa Committee has not reduced even after two decades. Instead, it has increased from 65 per cent to 72.8 per cent, which he termed an alarming development.
He said Congress leaders should stop shedding crocodile tears over backward regions. The baton of power is now in their hands. As Siddaramaiah is creating record after record, he should create another by allocating the highest-ever funds for eliminating regional disparity, Ashoka challenged.
Ashoka said that while the government boasts that Karnataka ranks second among large states in Net State Domestic Product (NSDP), it must also address the causes of regional imbalance.
For effective implementation of the 11 recommendations made by the Prof. Govinda Rao Committee for comprehensive development of backward regions, he suggested establishing a 'Regional Disparity Redressal Monitoring Unit' to oversee allocation, utilisation and progress of funds.
He further suggested that timelines must be fixed for projects and schemes undertaken, and strict adherence ensured to avoid delays. Without time-bound implementation, achieving progress within the stipulated period would be impossible, he said. The Budget should also propose stringent action against those who violate guidelines or misuse special funds, he added.
Ashoka said there is a growing demand among the people of the region to change the functioning of the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board.
The practice of formulating projects based on the preferences of elected representatives must be changed. Fresh guidelines should be framed based on expert advice, projects designed according to actual needs and implemented within a fixed timeframe.
The recommendations of the Govinda Rao Committee regarding changes in the functioning of the Planning Department should be given priority, he said.
He pointed out that one of the key recommendations of the Govinda Rao Committee clearly states that additional allocations should be made in the Budget over and above the regular allocation.
Funds must be distributed strictly on the basis of backwardness, Ashoka demanded.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz