Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

With ₹8,000 crore set to be disbursed under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Programme (CMIDP) to legislators across the State for development works during the next fiscal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have told his party colleagues to come up with proposals for the release of funds.

The Congress is also gearing up to celebrate two years of its rule in Karnataka, details of which are being worked out.

The Chief Minister, during the Congress Legislature Party meeting here on Monday, told members that the fund would be disbursed taking into consideration the requirements of the constituencies.

Sources said that though the quantum of funding for each constituency depended on the need for infrastructure development, legislators had been asked to seek funds under various programmes that needed to be implemented in their constituencies.

The CMIDP is being seen in political circles as a hedge by Mr. Siddaramaiah to keep the Congress flock together and also to keep a grip on the legislators amid his shadow boxing with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the leadership tussle.

The fund is being seen as a move to mollify party legislators, who have been incensed for nearly two years over lack of funds to undertake infrastructure development works with most of the money being diverted to fund the five guarantees.

Meanwhile, at the CLP district in-charge Ministers were instructed to hold meetings at the district level and interact with party workers, who have been complaining about the non-availability of Ministers to hear their woes.

Sources said that the legislators also raised the issue of panchayat development officers not effectively cooperating with them at the ground level.