BENGALURU: Even as chief minister HD Kumaraswamy gained an upper hand in quelling the BJP’s efforts to scuttle his second budget, there’s a silent rebellion brewing within the coalition government questioning the lopsided allocations to departments of JD(S) vis-a-vis Congress ministers.The disappointment is palpable because of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the ministers will dole out fresh schemes. “Politically, the CM’s decision to cut funds and not allow fresh schemes from a few portfolios held by Congress ministers may hurt the party image,” said a Congress minister.While sectors like agriculture and social welfare department have received sizeable allocations, despite being with Congress ministers, these have been attributed to political importance. “While 25 per cent of budgetary allocation for agriculture was definitely motivated by political reasons, social welfare department schemes were protected under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCPTSP) Act which mandates 24.1 per cent of the budget be set aside for its schemes,” said a Congress minister.The vocal protests have come from the rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) and minority welfare department ministers. RDPR minister Krishna Byregowda said: “I blame myself for failing to convince the CM, DyCM and finance department of the importance of schemes and needs of the department. We’ll have to redraw our strategy.”Byregowda said the department has lost Rs 500 crore compared with the previous budget and even fresh projects proposed by RDPR were not considered by the CM.Minority welfare and food and civil supplies minister B Z Zameer Ahmad Khan said, despite an increase in the minority welfare department allocation by Rs 77 crore, several requests were not considered.“We sought additional funding for Shaadi Bhagya scheme, increasing salaries of moulanas, apart from another Rs 1,000 crore for construction of houses on wakf properties for the poor and under privileged from the community. But none of them were considered. I’ve requested the CM and hope he’ll consider it during the budget discussion,” he said.Other Congress ministers, who didn’t wish to come on record, admitted there have been cuts and stagnation in allocation to most of their departments with substantial allocations going to JD(S) portfolios.For example, while education received 12 per cent allocation, health has stagnated at 4 per cent. Both primary and secondary education and higher education departments are vested with JD(S), with CM Kumaraswamy and GT Deve Gowda its respective ministers, with health department held by Shivanand Patil of the Congress.“While they have cut funds for some departments, PWD department has seen an upward spike of 13 per cent in allocation,” said a Congress minister. The PWD department is held by Kumaraswamy’s brother HD Revanna.A Congress minister, when told of Kumaraswamy’s assurance to a few colleagues of giving better allocation later, said: “Giving assurances and honouring them are two different things.”The budget is good and follows guidelines set in the common minimum programme of the two parties. The party has no complaint about budgetary allocation.

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