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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Karnataka
By Our Special Correspondent
The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, addressing a meeting of the Congress legislature party in Bangalore on Tuesday. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, B. Janardhana Poojary (foreground), is seen. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murt hy
BANGALORE, JULY 20. The Deputy Chief Minister and State Janata Dal (Secular) President Siddaramaiah's Budget presented on Monday evoked loud protests from Congress leaders today for its critical references to the previous Congress Government and the Union Budget. At a meeting of the Congress legislature party here, the Congress leaders are stated to have plainly told the Janata Dal (S) to follow the dharma of coalition politics and remember that it was a Congress-led Government and not a Janata Dal (S) dispensation. The Janata Dal (S) should remember that the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, agreed to the Congress joining the coalition after careful thought and not out of mere necessity. The speakers wondered how the critical references were allowed to be included in the Budget speech. Leading the Congress criticism of the Budget was none other than the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, B. Janardhana Poojary, it is stated. However, Mr. Poojary welcomed the Budget in general and the incorporation of some of the items included in the Common Minimum Programme. The most critical speech came from the former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is stated to have plainly told the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, that an impression had gained ground that the Janata Dal (S) had the upper hand in the coalition and was calling the shots. He is also stated to have opposed a suggestion for holding a joint meeting of the legislature wings of the two partners. The suggestion came from Kumar Bangarappa in the interests of better coordination between the two parties. Mr. Shivakumar took the stand that such a meeting could not be held as they were two different parties. Mr. Poojary is also stated to have impressed on the Congress Ministers to be more effective in and out of the legislature and not to give the impression that the Janata Dal (S) was leading the Government. He and the other speakers are stated to have said that the Janata Dal (S) Ministers could not afford to take pot-shots at the Congress leaders at every possible opportunity with regard to various public issues. In the Budget presented on Monday, Mr. Siddaramaiah has made oblique criticisms of the previous Government in the first 10 pages of his 47-page address. With reference to the Union Budget, the Finance Minister has said, "The Union Budget presented by the new Government at the Centre has not disappointed me. However, given that people have voted for a change at the Centre as well, much more could have been done and much needs to be done." About the performance of the previous Government, Mr. Siddaramaiah has noted that the State's outstanding public debt grew from Rs. 12,465 crores to Rs. 30,188 crores. The outstanding liabilities of the special purpose vehicles grew from Rs. 2,146 crores to the "unsustainable level" of Rs. 7,082 crores. "In the future, therefore, our borrowing must be based on the principle of affordability rather than on availability." Non-development expenditure grew from Rs. 8,280 crores in 1998-99 to Rs. 14,700 crores in 2003-04. The expenditure on salaries and pensions alone increased from Rs. 4,900 crores to Rs. 8,700 crores. In an indictment of the previous Government's handling of the State's finances, he has said, "It is clear that several fiscally imprudent decisions, including indiscriminate off-budget borrowings, uncontrolled administrative and employee costs, poorly targeted subsidies, inflated costs of large projects combined with time and cost overruns and considerable leakage of tax and non-tax revenues as well as of user charges in utilities have combined to place the development of the State at a distinct disadvantage. This disadvantage, coupled with three debilitating droughts has led to serious consequences. The quality of life has declined in Karnataka, relative to other comparable States. This decline is sharper in rural Karnataka. The worst affected are the vast numbers of those with low economic entitlements who are also socially disadvantaged."
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