Congress govt. has not released area development fund of MLAs since it came to power, says Kateel

Nalin Kumar Kateel also claims that the government has also not released money due to the beneficiaries of its guarantee schemes of Gruha Lakshmi and Yuva Nidhi

Nalin Kumar Kateel, former MP, at a press conference in Mangaluru on Saturday, October 5. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Nalin Kumar Kateel, former Member of Parliament for Dakshina Kannada on Saturday, October 5, alleged that the State government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not released the area development fund to any MLA since the Congress government came to power.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Kateel, a former president of the Karnataka unit of BJP, claimed that the government has also not released money due to the beneficiaries of its guarantee schemes of Gruha Lakshmi and Yuva Nidhi.

Mr. Kateel alleged that though the Union government has released rice to the State, the government is not distributing it among the poor.

Alleging that the Congress government in the State comprises “80% thieves”, Mr. Kateel said that Mr. Siddaramaiah has lost moral rights to continue in the office over the MUDA scam. The Chief Minister speaks politics even in Dasara programme, he said.

The former MP said that the Union government has strengthened the gram panchayats and other local bodies by directly releasing grants to them.

He exuded confidence that the voters will support the BJP candidate Kishore Kumar Puttur in the October 21 byelection to the Legislative Council from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency.

To a question, Mr. Kateel said that he was not an aspirant to contest the byelection.

“I did not curtail the political growth of any one for the sake of getting party ticket,” he said.

Mr. Kateel said that the BJP has given him everything by fielding him in the Lok Sabha elections thrice and making him to head the State unit.

The former MP said that the party fielded a youth (Mr. Puttur) in the coming election to give preference to youths. The party might have sent his (Mr. Kateel’s) name to the high command among the shortlisted candidates due to respect over him (Mr. Kateel).

He said that he has opportunities in future to serve the people.

“I have the responsibility of building the party now. A party worker never becomes irrelevant. Not my future but the future of the BJP is before me,” he said.

Published - October 05, 2024 08:57 pm IST