Union minister of state for railways, K H Muniyappa on Wednesday accused the state government of "looting" the funds released by the Centre for developmental projects and depriving people of facilities they were entitled to.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Congress party's Kittur unit near here, Mr Muniyappa said the state government had not effectively implemented the project for rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas of Bagalkot district although the Centre had released funds for it long ago. The funds for developmental projects under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) too had been misused by the government at the cost of farmers and the poor masses of the state, he charged. ``The state government is squandering time n safeguarding its own interests and on resort politics for its survival,'' he deplored.
On the other hand, veteran Congress leader, Jaffer Sharief had brought Karnataka a series of railway projects when he was Union railway minister, and he himself had implemented at least 16 railway projects in Karnataka.