Got raw deal in budget, no point in attending NITI Aayog meeting: Shivakumar

Bengaluru, Jul 24 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday defended the Congress government's decision to boycott the July 27 meeting of the NITI Aayog, saying the State has got a raw deal in the Union Budget and its interests have not been protected.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday the decision was taken as a mark of protest against the "neglect" of the state’s demands in the Union Budget.

“What is the point of attending NITI Aayog meeting when it doesn’t have ‘neeti’? Karnataka has got a raw deal in the Union Budget. The State has not got any projects and its interests have not been protected. We have decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting and stage a protest instead,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

Siddaramaiah had said that despite his earnest efforts in calling for an all party meeting of MPs in New Delhi to discuss Karnataka's essential needs, the Union Budget has neglected the State's demands.

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of Karnataka. We don't feel Kannadigas are heard, and hence there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting," the Chief Minister had said.

Meanwhile, when asked about the BJP's opposition to the proposed Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBA) Bill, Shivakumar said: “They are trying to politicise this. I don’t do anything in a hurry, I have only tabled it. Let them debate on it in detail and then take a decision. Bengaluru is growing in an uncontrolled way and it needs good governance.” The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled the proposed Bill which aims at establishing a maximum of ten city corporations in order to decentralise municipal administration.

The bill moots the founding of the GBA with Chief Minister as the ex-officio chairperson, the minister in charge of Bengaluru as vice-chairperson and the chief commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority as member secretary.