• Source:JND
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Bengaluru Poor Infrastructure Row: The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre government over not providing enough funds to the state for its development, saying 'we don't get a rupee from the centre'.

Siddaramaiah also questioned the centre over slashed rates of Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced before Diwali. Besides, he called out state BJP leaders for the 'silence' over the matter and asked why they did not raise the matter before the centre.

CM's statement came amid a row over Bengaluru's infrastructure woes. The state government has come under criticism over the "poor state of roads and traffic issues", particularly in the green city of India, Bengaluru. Industrialists have repeatedly been demanding the government's intervention into the matter.

"We don't get a rupee from the Centre. Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, we pay one of the highest taxes; the people living in the city should know that out of every rupee Karnataka gives the Centre, as taxes we get back only 14-15 paisa. Is this enough?" Siddaramaiah said.

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been critical of Bengaluru's infrastructure woes by highlighting them through her social media posts, and has been repeatedly urging the state government to intervene.

Shaw, on Tuesday, met the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy DK Shivakumar and greeted them on Diwali.

The CM added that when the state demands more money, the matter gets politicised. "Even in GST, they collected high taxes for eight years, and now they put photos of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, saying it's a Diwali gift. Is this justice? Shouldn't we teach them a lesson? Is this even a gift?" he said.

Early last month, the central government announced the overhaul of the consumption tax, alleviating a 12 per cent tax slap from GST and limiting slabs to 5 per cent and 18 per cent, aimed at boosting domestic spending and mitigating the economic blow of the US tariffs imposed on Indian goods. 

"The people vote for the BJP but the party leaders never questioned the injustice meted out to Karnataka or asked for more funds that the state deserves. There is that south MP, (Tejasvi) Surya, I call him 'amavasya'. Even the other MP, Shobha Karandlaje... they never opened their mouths in the matter," the Chief Minister said.

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Earlier this March, Siddaramaiah slammed the centre for "not releasing the announced grants" for the state.

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