No shortage of funds for welfare: Sindhia

Karnataka minister for finance, planning and industry P G R Sindhia has stated that the state government has enough funds for implementation of schemes and programmes for the poorer sections of the society.

The minister who was in Karwar to review the performance of the department of finance, planning and industry, refuted former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah's statement that the state had no money for implementing the Rs 3 per kg rice scheme for the poor.

Sindhia said the state government had already released Rs 700 crore for the scheme though Siddaramaiah had made a budget allocation of Rs 600 crore. Another Rs 100 crore would be released by March end, he added.

Replying to questions Sindhia said the state government had released Rs 131 crore as the initial amount for the Hubli-Gadag-Solapur, Harihar-Kottur, Hassan-Mangalore and Bangalore-Mysore railway lines development schemes according to the agreement with the railway minister.

He said that the state government will formulate new industrial policy for 2006-07 and a committee of experts had been constituted for the purpose. He claimed that the collection of taxes in the state was satisfactory.

On the payment of subsidy arrears to small industries in Uttara Kannada district, Sindhia said, subsidy amounting Rs 390 crore had not been paid for the last five years.

However, he said the government had released Rs 175 crore and the remaining will be paid by 2007.