The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed a sharp exchange between Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after Mr. Chowdhury alleged discrimination in devolution of funds to Congress-ruled Karnataka and other non-Bharatiya Janata Party ruled States.
Replying to a supplementary question by Mr. Chowdhury during the Question Hour, Ms. Sitharaman said that it is a “politically-vitiated narrative that vested interests are happy to go about saying”.
During the Question Hour, replying to a question by Mr. Chowdhury on the Karnataka government’s claim that the Centre is not releasing funds that are due to them, the Finance Minister asserted that devolution of funds as per recommendations of the Finance Commission.
“This apprehension that some States are being discriminated against is a politically-vitiated narrative which, I am sorry to say, vested interests are happy to go about saying,” she said during Question Hour.
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Ms. Sitharaman added that no Union finance minister can play with the Finance Commission’s recommendations.
“This is just not a possibility that any Finance Minister can intervene to say that ‘I don’t like this State, stop payment’ ... It can’t happen that way. The system is well placed...I have no right to change the rules as per my whims and fancies … I have no role to play. In fact, I have to follow 100 per cent,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
“That is what I have done in my term. All finance ministers do that. Implement the recommendations of the Finance Commission. It is done without fear or favour,” she added.
Her response came after the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha that there is a perception that non-BJP States are not getting their “legitimate due”.
“I would like to know whether the State government has been deprived from getting their legitimate due. Six months ago, the situation was not there and everything was hunky dory. After the installation of the new government, a non-BJP government has assumed office, trouble has started. What is the reason?” the Congress leader asked.
In a sharp retort, Ms. Sitharaman replied, “I want to say, till six months ago, all was hunky dory. What is going wrong now? Have you spent on items which you were not supposed to? I am not even questioning. Do spend it but don’t put the blame on me. Don’t put blame on the Centre as it goes by the book”.
“If the expenditure is going in areas which it cannot sustain by your Budget, I am not answerable. Which government was there till six months ago is not my role to talk about. If it was hunky dory then and now it is not, introspect, please,” she added.
