Karnataka faces discrimination in distribution of resources from Centre: Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged that the state is facing discrimination in the distribution of resources from the Centre.

He also said his government has built its own development model, which is widely recognised as the "Karnataka Model of Development", and that its 'guarantee schemes' have got global recognition.

Delivering his address at the 79th Independence Day celebrations here, CM claimed, "Karnataka is facing discrimination in the distribution of resources from the Centre. There is growing concern that Constitutional bodies like the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and others are not working to uphold the true values of democracy and cooperative federalism as enshrined in the Constitution".

He said, "every responsible citizen must raise their voice in this regard".

"The Basavadi Sharanas of the 12th century firmly believed that one must live by one's word. Guided by this principle, our government has built its own development model, now widely recognised as the Karnataka Model of Development," he said.

"It is a matter of pride that even Philemon Yang, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, visited Karnataka and wholeheartedly praised our Guarantee Schemes, giving them global recognition," he added.

Noting that surveys by leading national institutions have revealed a stark truth that the wealthiest 10 per cent of our population hold 80 per cent of the nation's wealth, yet they contribute only about 3 per cent of the GST collected, he said, the remaining 90 per cent ordinary people who work daily for food and clothing shoulder nearly 97 per cent of GST.

"How can any economy sustain itself under such circumstances? How can we fulfil the spirit of our Constitution? How can we reduce this growing inequality? These questions troubled us. Only to find answers, we have launched the Guarantee Schemes and welfare programmes," he added.

Highlighting that the guarantee schemes are transforming the trajectory of Karnataka's development, the CM said, after assuming office in May 2023, schemes like Anna Bhagya, Shakti, Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, and Yuva Nidhi were implemented.

"So far, we have allocated more than Rs 96,000 crore for them. Recently, we celebrated 500 crore free trip milestone in the Shakti scheme. These schemes, free from the exploitation of middlemen and delivered directly to the people, have not only raised per capita income but, according to several studies, have increased women's participation in the workforce by 23 per cent," he said.

The Shakti scheme has been complemented by the Transport Department's induction of 5,049 new buses of various models and the recruitment of 8,473 personnel, significantly enhancing service capacity and reach across the state, he added.

Highlighting that Karnataka now ranks first in the country in terms of per capita income, Siddaramaiah said, over the past decade, the state has achieved a growth of 101 per cent in this indicator from Rs 1,01,858 at constant prices in 2013-14 to Rs 2,04,605 in 2024-25.

"Our government is spending more than Rs 1.12 lakh crore on welfare measures including Guarantee Schemes, subsidies, incentives, scholarships, social security pensions, and other social programmes," he said.

Noting that to truly understand people's living conditions, the government decided to conduct a social and educational survey of the backward classes, the CM said, only accurate data can shape policies and schemes that transform lives and provide special representation and targeted justice.

"To ignore this would be to betray both our Constitution and our freedom struggle. Hence our government is serious about internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes and conducting a socio-educational survey of the backward classes," he added.

Nation will forever remember, with indebtedness, those who were martyred in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent conflict between India and Pakistan, CM said.

"We bow our heads in humble respect to their indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice," he added.

He said, this year the state received a bountiful monsoon, reservoirs are full, and farmers are smiling. "Compared to previous years in 2024-25 we have broken all records in agricultural and horticultural output."

The Union Government is not supplying the quantity of urea we require, creating avoidable problems, he said, "I strongly urge the Union Government to resolve this issue without further delay."

In the past, communal conflicts along the coast caused loss of life and property to innocent people, he said and added, "We have established a Special Task Force to prevent such violence."

Pointing out that owing to the government's measures, the maternal mortality rate in 2025 has reduced by 26 per cent, the CM further said, "In the interest of public health, we are continually analysing and banning adulterated and harmful foods."

Siddaramaiah also said, youngsters distracted by mobile and internet are facing deep distress, depression, anxiety, sudden anger, and hatred. "We must collectively find new ways to address this challenge. So, we have launched 'Mobile Bidi - Pustaka Hidi' ('Put down phone, take a book') and 'Odu Karnataka' ('Read Karnataka') campaigns," he said.

Stating Karnataka as a Naxal-free state, the CM said, "Now, we must all work together to declare our proud state drug-free. In this fight, every citizen must act like a warrior. The government is already working on this mission, involving all stakeholders."