Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the claims of the Karnataka government that it has not received its due share of funds was “utterly baseless” and was not part of the final recommendations of the Finance Commission.
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Speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Thinkers’ Forum in Mysuru, Ms. Sitharaman said that all funds payable to Karnataka have been released but if the due process of an audited certificate has not been received by the Centre, then it cannot release the money. It would be released as and when the audited certificates are furnished, she added.
Without specifically mentioning the Congress government of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ms. Sitharaman said she will send a Kannada version of the Finance Commission’s recommendations. “Tell me if the amount that is being claimed by the Karnataka government is part of the recommendation of the final report or not,” she added. “If it is not part of the final report then how do I give it,” she asked, remarking that baseless and wrong interpretations are being given to confuse the minds of the people.
Ms. Sitharaman said Karantaka’s economy was a very flourishing one “till recently”. But now the elected government in the State was accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not giving them money to run their programmes. “If you did not have the money and budgetary provisions for it or had failed to work out the finances, why did you make the promise,” questioned Ms. Sitharaman.
On the State government’s move to approach the Supreme Court and file a petition against the Union government for denying financial assistance for drought management, the Union Finance Minister said it was the right of every citizen of the country to approach the court for justice. “But I also have a duty to submit all the facts before the court,” she added.