Chitradurga, Aug 11 (Reporter) Valmiki seer Prasannananda Puri on Sunday accused Karnataka's Congress government of diverting funds earmarked for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to finance its five guarantee schemes. The seer raised these concerns during an address in Chitradurga, saying the reallocation of funds, originally intended for marginalised communities, was "unacceptable". "We won't hinder your welfare schemes. We won't oppose your government's stand. The country's development is people's development. The poor, SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) must prosper," Prasannananda Puri stated. He added, "To uplift them, you made promises in your manifesto and implemented them. We don't oppose that. We oppose the funds reserved in the budget for SCs and STs being misused." The controversy centres around allegations that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has redirected over Rs 14,000 crore from the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for other purposes. This alleged diversion of funds has prompted the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) to issue a notice to the Karnataka government. The NCSC notice, addressed to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, was prompted by media reports suggesting that Rs 14,730 crore, originally allocated under SCSP and TSP, had been reallocated to fund the state's ambitious "five guarantee schemes." These schemes were a key component of the Congress party's manifesto ahead of last year's Assembly polls land have since been implemented by the state government. Reacting to the notice, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the government's actions, asserting that the reallocation of funds was done within the bounds of the law. "We have made a law in the state that a particular amount of money will be spent on a particular community. There is nothing wrong with it. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh had brought a similar law," Shivakumar explained. The allegations have sparked a heated debate across the state, with opposition leaders and community groups demanding greater transparency and accountability from the government...////...