BJP Slams govt, demands white paper on tax devolution

Udupi: Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, M. K. Pranesh, has challenged the Karnataka government to release a white paper on tax devolution. Pranesh, who is touring four districts of the state along with MLCs Bharati Shetty and Pratap Simha Nayak stated on Saturday that the people would once again support the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. He attributed this expected backing to the current leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the centre, emphasising the absence of corruption

charges. Speaking to reporters, M K Pranesh called upon the Congress government in the state, led by CM Siddaramaiah, to release a whitepaper on tax devolution. He criticized CM Siddaramaiah for continuously alleging unfair treatment of Karnataka by the central government. “The Congress government’s lack of sincerity is evident as it shifts blame to the people by raising state taxes.

A transparent white paper on tax devolution is necessary,” he insisted. Dismissing the Congress government’s allegations of tax devolution inequality as baseless, M K Pranesh expressed confidence that issues such as the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the BJP government’s diplomatic efforts with other countries would resonate with voters in the upcoming LS polls. MLC Prathap Simha Nayak, also addressing the press conference, condemned the state government for allocating more than 50 percent of funds for revenue expenditure in the recent state budget.

He criticized this allocation, stating it left insufficient funds for development projects and accused the Congress government of neglecting capital expenditures for building assets. Nayak refuted claims of injustice by the center, citing figures that showed substantial allocations to Karnataka by the NDA government between 2014 and 2024. MLC Bharathi Shetty praised the significant progress made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, particularly in enhancing access to piped water. She highlighted the increase in the percentage of households with piped water connections from 24 percent in 2014 to over 50 percent within a decade. Shetty also lauded the BJP government’s initiatives to provide toilet facilities, noting improvements observed in the North Karnataka region. On Friday the panel toured Dakshina Kannada district and met various groups of influencers, opinion makers and elders and gathered opinions about the poll prospects. The Panel will also tour Hassan and

Chikkamgaluru.