BENGALURU: Trouble within the B S Yediyurappa government has once again erupted with a complaint being registered by Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister K S Eshwarappa against the CM with the governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh.
The complaint pertains to CM Yediyurappa’s “ad-hoc” allocations for rural development without the knowledge of Eshwarappa and lack of funds for specific projects which were announced under the RDPR department by the minister and his department officers.
On Wednesday, the senior BJP MLA and former deputy CM is believed to have submitted his complaint in person to the governor.
In his complaint, Eshwarappa has called out Yediyurappa over his “unilateral style of administration” and alleged that no funds have been released for specific projects in the state’s 2020-21 budget.
“In the last one and half years, as a minister for RDPR, certain decisions by the CM who is heading the finance department relating to my department without my knowledge has caused deep resentment as a senior minister in the BJP government…” said Eshwarappa in his letter.
He has illustrated the supposed lack of allocations towards the rural development department by pointing out the shutting down of a 2020-21 budget proposal–Grameena Sumarga Yojane– for which Rs 780 crore was set aside in that budget for development 20,000 kilometers of rural roads.
“While the finance department failed to provide necessary funds for the scheme, over the last one and half years in the name of special grants (outside the budget) works worth Rs 1,439.2 crore has been sanctioned and recently on February 17, 81 legislative assembly segments, grants from Rs 5 crore to Rs 23 crore were sanctioned,” wrote Eshwarappa.
He claimed that the decision will have a long term implication on the state’s fiscal plan and the department’s development action plan.
Eshwarappa has accused Yediyurappa of “favouritism” by suggesting that only those close to the CM have recieved the “special grants”.
He later sent the complaint to BJP state-in charge Arjun Singh as well.
Citing that a majority portion of the funds allocated for RDPR department continues to be not released– only Rs 1,600.4 crore of the Rs 3998.5 crore has been released– Eshwarappa has said that he has been forced to cut a sorry figure before his own party MLAs.
“The above action of the finance department has put me in an embarrassing situation in the eyes of our party MLAs and workers who have been critical of the special grants for the opposition party constituencies while having very little for BJP’s own segments despite having their party government in power,” said the BJP leader.
When sought for his reaction, Eshwarappa’s office said he was “resting” and would not be able to comment at present.