Kumaraswamy accused CM Siddaramaiah of neglecting farmers’ water needs, mishandling the Tungabhadra dam, and rising police involvement in crimes
SHIVAMOGGA
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy strongly criticized the Congress government, saying it has failed to focus on the state’s development and has even struggled with tax collection. Speaking at a press conference at the JDS district office in Shivamogga, he said that most departments are suffering because budget allocations are not being released properly. According to him, the government has used only 40–45 percent of the funds meant for various projects, and tax collection may see a loss of nearly ₹15,000 crore.
Kumaraswamy said many school buildings across Karnataka are in poor condition. He pointed out that the state needs 65,000 teachers, yet no major steps have been taken to fill these posts. Although the government talks about improving public schools and building new ones under CSR grants, he questioned where the required funds will actually come from.
He clarified that he has never said the state treasury is empty, and he will not criticize guarantee schemes lightly. However, he attacked the irrigation minister, saying he is more interested in renaming Bengaluru blocks than solving irrigation problems. According to him, the government is not monitoring administration properly and is instead focused on maintaining power.
Kumaraswamy also targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of ignoring farmers’ water needs and mishandling issues like the Tungabhadra dam. He alleged that police involvement in crimes has increased under the current government, reminding people of previous incidents during Siddaramaiah’s earlier term.
He also responded sharply to D.K. Shivakumar’s comments and spoke about efforts to revive Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited (VISL) through a planned ₹4,000-crore investment. He insisted that Deve Gowda never used religious leaders for political gain and said Siddaramaiah cannot surpass the achievements of former chief minister Devaraj Urs.