Bengaluru, 15 May 

Alleging a delay by the Union government in releasing funds for the centrally-sponsored schemes and grants to the State, Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said that a situation should not come for the state government to once again hold a protest for this in New Delhi.

He said that the timely release of central funds would help in taking up development works.

"For the last two years, we have been asking the Centre to give the grants that are supposed to come to the State government. For various reasons, it is getting delayed. Sometimes they don't come at all. So the Chief Minister held a review yesterday," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had requested the Members of Parliament from the State to put pressure on the Centre and get the funds released.

"It is said that about Rs 5,500 crore should be released to the State immediately. We should demand under the Centre and State relationship that is there. Last time a situation had come for the State government to go and protest in Delhi as repeated attempts to get funds failed. Such a situation should not come again...if funds are released on time it can be used for development," he said.

Siddaramaiah had led a protest in New Delhi in February last year against the Centre's "injustice" to the State in devolution of taxes. 

To a question about a number of MPs skipping Wednesday's meeting, the Home Minister said, "Not sure what the reason is. They, too, will have work to perform and hence wouldn't have attended the meeting.”