Telangana: BJP fears special funds for ministers would be misused

Hyderabad: The BJP on Monday criticised the state Cabinet giving its nod to set apart Rs 5,000 crore towards special fund exclusively for works sanctioned by the Chief Minister. The Cabinet had on Sunday approved the Rs 5,000 crore special fund for the CM and Rs 425 crore for the 17 ministers (Rs 25 crore each) under the Special Development Fund for Welfare and Development Activities (SDFWDA). Funds can be released entirely at the discretion of the CM and the ministers for various works without calling for tenders.

It was the late YSR who had launched the Constituency Development Fund which was in 2011-12 renamed as SDFWDA with an allocation of Rs 400 crore by former CM N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.  Though there were large-scale complaints of misuse of the SDF funds in the undivided state, with allegations of the public representatives and contractors close to the powers-that-be benefiting by cornering all works and funds, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been firm on the steep increase in allocation for this scheme.

On Monday, BJP termed the Cabinet decision as “irresponsible” and “hasty” and demanded it be immediately rolled back. BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told the media on Monday that the party will not allow the government to spend public money without accountability and adherence to established procedures.

“KCR cannot indiscriminately allocate Rs 5,000 crore to himself and Rs 25 crore to each of his ministers, as if he was distributing his family wealth,” he said. The BJP leader said that the Constitution does not allow separate and individual fund allocation for ministers and Chief Ministers for use as discretionary funds.