Karnataka Chief Minister K. Shivakumar on Wednesday urged the NITI Aayog to ensure the state receives its due share of Central funds, including allocations announced by the Union government in previous Budgets. He made the appeal during a meeting with NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri at his official residence, Krishna, in Bengaluru, according to a statement from the Karnataka Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
Federal cooperation and state development
Speaking at the meeting, Shivakumar emphasised the importance of cooperative federalism, saying the Centre and states must work together in the national interest. "Everyone should work together keeping the national interest in mind. Only if states develop can the country develop. In a federal system, states and the Central Government must work with mutual cooperation," he said. He noted that after a long time, he had the opportunity to hold a separate meeting with NITI Aayog, and requested the institution to extend all possible support to Karnataka.
The Chief Minister highlighted the state's expectations from the national policy body, saying the country has "huge expectations" from Karnataka. He said NITI Aayog had advised setting up a second Bengaluru, and assured that the state would prepare a proper plan in this regard, taking into account initiatives undertaken by other states. "A comprehensive plan will be developed on how Karnataka can contribute to the country's development. All suggestions given by NITI Aayog will be taken into account," he added.
State's contributions and fiscal pressures
Shivakumar underlined Karnataka's leading position in the country in terms of GDP, per capita income, human development index, technology and innovation, foreign direct investment, exports, startups, and IT services. He said the state produces around 1.6 lakh engineers and nearly 13,000 doctors annually, while Bengaluru is home to around 2.6 million IT professionals. "Karnataka has the best quality human resources in the country," he said, noting that people from all parts of the country are coming to Bengaluru, putting pressure on the city's infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also drew attention to the state's financial commitments, stating that Karnataka spends more than Rs 50,000 crore every year on five guarantee schemes and around Rs 20,000 crore annually on free electricity subsidies for farmers. He stressed that these expenditures, combined with the state's development needs, justify the demand for its due share of Central resources.
Specific asks and demographic concerns
Shivakumar urged special consideration for Karnataka's large dryland agriculture area, which is second only to Rajasthan, arguing that the state's agro-climatic challenges should be factored into fund allocation. He also raised the issue of population control, saying Southern states that implemented population-control measures should not be disadvantaged in Central fund allocation.
He recalled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement that world leaders visiting India would prefer to visit Bengaluru before Delhi, illustrating the city's global appeal.
NITI Aayog response and meeting attendees
Lahiri, in his remarks, said he was proud of Karnataka's development and stressed the need to seriously consider establishing a second Bengaluru. He acknowledged the state's progress and the importance of addressing its growing urban pressures.
The meeting was attended by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, economic advisor K. Atheeq, political secretary S. Ponnanna, and other officials, according to the CMO statement and reports from the meeting.