Siddarth Sethia
*MPs Should Work to Secure the ₹40,000 Crore Pending Grants Owed by the Union Government.
*The Centre Must Be Urged to Relax Drought Declaration Norms.
*Deputy Chief Minister Dr.G.Parameshwara Appeals at the All-Party Meeting of Karnataka MPs in New Delhi.
*New Delh:Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara appealed to all Members of Parliament from Karnataka to work together to ensure the release of more than ₹40,000 crore in grants that are pending from the Union Government.
Speaking at the all-party meeting of Karnataka MPs held at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi today, Dr. Parameshwara highlighted several pending allocations, including:
₹5,495 crore in special grants recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
₹3,000 crore for lake development.
₹3,000 crore for Bengaluru’s Peripheral Ring Road.
₹17,554 crore pending under the Jal Jeevan Mission, and.
₹2,860 crore recommended by the 15th Finance Commission for critical rural infrastructure.
He further pointed out that although the Union Government had announced ₹5,400 crore for the Upper Bhadra Project in its Budget, the funds have not yet been released.
In addition,₹1,500 crore remains pending towards the procurement of agricultural produce under MSP.
Altogether,the Union Government has not released more than ₹40,000 crore due to Karnataka.He also noted that more than 60 proposals submitted by the State are still pending with the Centre.
“Karnataka’s development contributes directly to the nation’s development.The Union Government should abandon its discriminatory approach and extend full support to the State’s growth,”he said.
Referring to the severe drought situation,Dr. Parameshwara stated that Karnataka is facing an unprecedented crisis due to this year’s super El Niño, with temperatures rising by nearly 3°C above normal.
More than 169 taluks have received little or no rainfall, and even sown crops have been damaged due to the prolonged dry spell.
He urged the Centre to relax the existing norms for declaring drought,as requested in the State Government’s earlier communication,and appealed to all MPs to exert pressure on the Union Government in this regard.
Dr.Parameshwara also noted that several long-pending projects, including the Upper Krishna Project, Mahadayi Project,Mekedatu Project,and Upper Bhadra Project, need to be resolved at the earliest.
He urged all Members of Parliament to extend the necessary support to ensure Karnataka’s development.
