Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120553670300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Yeddyurappa accused of diverting funds

Special Correspondent

Funds meant for HK region diverted to Shimoga district: Kharge

GULBARGA: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge has accused Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa of diverting funds allocated for infrastructure development and irrigation projects in the Hyderabad Karnataka region to Shimoga district, which is the home district of the Chief Minister.

‘Bad precedent’

Mr. Kharge said that Mr. Yeddyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, was setting a bad precedent by neglecting the constituencies that had returned Opposition party MLAs and fostering the constituencies that had returned BJP MLAs and independents supporting the BJP Government in the State.

He said that Congress leaders would meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur on December 7 or 8 and present a detailed a memorandum to him exposing the “illegal” and “anti-democratic” acts of the Government.

Mr. Kharge said that the major portion of the funds allocated for irrigation works in the Upper Krishna Project and projects in the Krishna Basin were being diverted for irrigation projects in Shimoga.

Mr. Kharge said that the Government, which claimed to provide funds to set right regional imbalances, was creating imbalances by diverting funds meant for development activities.

He added that apart from this, the BJP MLAs and independents supporting the BJP Government were given Rs. 10 crore to 12 crore from the discretionary funds of the Chief Minister for development works while the constituencies which returned non-BJP MLAs were starved of any funds for development activities.

Mr. Kharge said that the Congress would launch a sustained agitation in the State in order to set right the “illegal activities” of the government.