Bengaluru, September 10: The Karnataka government has decided to approach the Supreme Court over ₹2,186 crore it says is pending from the Centre for gram panchayats under the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, opening another legal front in the Centre-State funding dispute at a time when the state is grappling with rainfall deficiency and drought conditions.
According to details aired in the report, the decision to seek judicial intervention was taken after a meeting at Vikas Soudha, with Minister Eshwar Khandre moving to pursue the pending ₹2,186 crore in grants through the Supreme Court.
The proposed legal action gives a sharper political dimension to Karnataka’s drought response, with leaders of the ruling side accusing the Centre of discrimination in the release of funds and warning that the state cannot depend on Central assistance as drought conditions worsen in parts of rural Karnataka.
The report said the ₹2,186 crore relates to grants that were to reach gram panchayats in accordance with the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendations. The state is now preparing to seek the Supreme Court’s intervention for the release of the amount.
The move comes against the backdrop of deficient rainfall and emerging drought conditions. According to the report, the situation in villages has become difficult, adding urgency to the state government’s demand for funds.
The funding dispute also surfaced prominently during the government’s 100-day programme, where ruling leaders targeted the Centre over what they described as a lack of response to Karnataka’s financial demands.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, according to the report, referred to an earlier demand of ₹18,000 crore made to the Central government and said there had been no response. He said Karnataka had again reached a similar situation.
Parameshwara said 101 taluks had already been declared drought-hit and that the state was preparing to submit a memorandum to the Central government shortly.
The political message from the event was accompanied by a warning against depending on Central assistance. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah advised the government not to depend on the Centre and to proceed with what it had announced, according to the report.
The latest decision revives memories of an earlier Centre-State confrontation over financial assistance. The report recalled that during the previous Siddaramaiah government, Karnataka leaders had travelled to Delhi and staged a protest seeking funds before subsequently approaching the Supreme Court. Funds were released to the state after the legal proceedings, the report said.
The present dispute, however, specifically centres on the ₹2,186 crore that Karnataka says is due to gram panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission recommendations, even as drought has intensified the political argument over the availability of resources for rural areas.
The ruling side’s position is that the Centre did not adequately respond to Karnataka’s earlier funding demand and that the state must now prepare to act independently while also pursuing its financial claims.
The BJP, meanwhile, has turned the drought issue against the state government. According to the report, the opposition has demanded that the government formally address the drought situation and announce relief.
A BJP response cited in the report alleged that the government had only released a drought list in name and had so far failed to announce drought compensation. The opposition’s attack puts pressure on the state government to move beyond drought declarations and specify relief for affected people.
The competing positions have therefore created two parallel political arguments: the Karnataka government is accusing the Centre of failing to release funds and preparing to seek Supreme Court intervention, while the BJP is questioning the state government over the absence of a drought-relief announcement.
With 101 taluks already declared drought-hit, a memorandum to the Centre under preparation and a proposed Supreme Court move over ₹2,186 crore in 15th Finance Commission grants, the dispute is set to become a major Centre-State political and financial confrontation as Karnataka responds to the drought situation.
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