‘We don’t have any expectation from Budget’: BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal

BENGALURU: After Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar blamed the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for pending bills of contractors in the state, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal alleged that contractors are dying due to suicide.

He also spoke on the Budget Session which commenced on Monday. “Budget will merely remain a book… No guarantees are being fulfilled by the state government… The economic state of Karnataka is very bad and hence we don’t have any expectation from the budget…”

On Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s statement, he said, “Contractors are in a very bad state right now in Karnataka and are committing suicide…”

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka | On Budget Session 2025, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal says, “Budget will stay merely a book… No guarantees are being fulfilled by the state government… The economic state of Karnataka is very bad and hence we don’t have any expectation from… pic.twitter.com/a06eFVhAVx

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025

Bharatiya Janata Party leader (BJP) leader C T Ravi said that it is the government’s job to pay the pending bills. “Pending bills are always there, once a govt is gone out of power, the bill remains and it needs to be paid (by the current govt). The government gives the commitment, sanction is done by the government…once the work is done, it is the government’s job to pay the pending bill…government gets the revenue…,” Ravi said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On Karnataka Congress’ statement that Contractors’ bills are from BJP’s tenure, BJP leader CT Ravi says, ” Pending bills are there always, once a govt is gone out of power, still the bill remains and it needs to be paid (by the current govt). Govt gives the… pic.twitter.com/8nTZ2UfSdz

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025

This comes after Shivakumar blamed the previous BJP government for the issue of the large backlog of unpaid contractor bills in the state. “The association had met with me, urging the government to clear the outstanding payments,” the Deputy CM had said.

Shivakumar acknowledged the challenge, noting that during the previous BJP government, significant work worth over Rs 1.25 lakh crore was initiated, but the state’s budget allocation for capital work is only Rs 16,000 crore.

Earlier, Minister Priyank Kharge accused the BJP of spreading false information that the funds of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are being misused and diverted to other projects.He asked the BJP to substantiate their allegations and demanded accountability from the previous government.

“BJP is spreading false information that the money of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is being misused and the money is being diverted to other projects. They are not telling where and how it is being misused; they are not giving any clarification about it. They should answer about what they did when they were in power,” Kharge told reporters here.

The Minister alleged that the SCSP and TSP funds are being misused in the BJP-ruled states. He also accused the Madhya Pradesh government of missing money meant for tribals for cow shelters. (ANI)