Karnataka: 30 per cent of fund given to MLAs not used, says MR Seetharam
Bengaluru: Minister for programme implementation, planning and statistics, M.R. Seetharam said that nearly 30 per cent of the funds allotted to MLAs and MLCs has not been utilized in this financial year.
Speaking to the media here on Monday, Mr Seetharam said, “MLAs and MLCs are getting Rs 2 crore each as fund for their constituencies. The state government has released Rs 600 crore for 300 MLAs and MLCs. Out of Rs 600 crore, only Rs 450 crore has been utilized so far. I will obtain the details of individual MLAs and MLCs regarding non-utilization of funds,” Mr Seetharam said.
“My department is overseeing programme implementation and planning of the government. I am also supervising the work done by Malnad Development Board, Karavali Development Board and Hyderabad-Karnataka Development Board,” he said.
Subbaiah responsible for Diddalli unrest: Minister
Minister for Planning, Programme Implementation and Statistics M.R. Seetharam has blamed veteran politician and close aide of CM Siddaramaiah, A.K. Subbaiah, for derailing the rehabilitation process of the tribals evicted from the Diddalli forests in Virajapet taluk.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr. Seetharam, who is also in-charge minister of Kodagu, claimed that Mr. Subbaiah was misguiding the tribals and instigating them against leaving the forests. “It is due to his interference that the tribals have refused to move to the Geddamaluru and Basavanahalli rehabilitation sites offered by the government,” he charged.
Reiterating that the tribals would not be allowed to remain in the Diddalli forests, he said when they met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently, he had asked the Revenue Minister to see if the land in question belonged to his department and let them stay on if it did. “But as the land belongs to the forest department, there is no question of the nearly 700 Diddalli tribal families staying on there. We have requested them to move to the rehabilitation sites,” he added.
As for MLA Appachu Ranjan objecting to the Diddalli tribals moving to Basavamandi and Byatagudda villages in his Madikeri constituency when Diddalli was part of Virajpet constituency of BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah, the minister said that he had asked both the MLAs to sort out the issue among themselves.
