- 33 minutes ago
A debate on India Today focuses on the recent wave of price hikes in Karnataka, including increases in milk and public transport fares. Congress spokesperson Raghu Dodderi defended the hike, explaining that rising fuel costs, a stronger dollar, and drought-induced input pressures forced the milk federation and transport corporations to adjust rates to protect farmers and operational viability. He asserted that 'the central government has to come to our people's rescue and has to reduce the fuel prices', arguing that high central fuel cesses and inadequate tax devolution disproportionately burden Karnataka. In response, BJP spokesperson Surabhi Hodigere criticised the state administration for fiscal mismanagement, alleging an 'A to Z' rise in costs across commodities and arguing that election guarantees have emptied state coffers instead of delivering promised subsidies directly from government funds.
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00:00Okay, let's open this up. Joining us on this broadcast, we've got Surabhi Hodigeri, BJP spokesperson, and Raghu Doderi, Congress
00:09spokesperson.
00:10Namaskara, thank you both very much for your time. Mr. Raghu Doderi, I'd like to begin with you on what
00:15really the government's reasoning and explanation is for all of these series of price jolts in the last one week.
00:25Was it to me?
00:26Yes, to you, Mr. Doderi.
00:29First of all, you know, whatever the price has been iked by both the KMF and KSRTC, government has had
00:36a discussion with all the associations and all the, you know, milk federations, and we have come out with this
00:42seven, eight rupees increase on milk federation price, milk price, and that seven rupees goes to the farmer and one
00:50rupee goes to the federation for maintenance, management of the entire operations.
00:54So, this, see, the current, the affair is mainly because of the fuel prices hike and dollar prices have gone
01:00high.
01:01Because of it, the financial burden and the input prices have gone high, and the people are finding it very
01:07difficult, especially in the federation, and the farmers are finding it very difficult to produce the milk.
01:11Karnataka is producing closely one crore litres per day, and it is supplying to neighboring states, including Delhi and other,
01:18even Dubai we are exporting.
01:20But unfortunately, what's happening, the input prices have gone high, and the state, you know, the farmers due to the
01:25drought, they are not finding the, you know, the input prices have gone.
01:29So, let me offer the solution, sir, that you offer many other states, compensate them, don't pass on the problem
01:34to the consumers.
01:37No, the, see, the central government had taken up the responsibility, like how the U.P.A. government used to
01:43handle the, you know, even the dollar prices for 140 rupees on the, you know, the central U.P.A.
01:48Congress government, the Congress-led government had managed to maintain the 57 rupees, 67 rupees per litre.
01:53But the current central government has been, you know, looting the tax from the people and not giving back to
02:00the, you know, people.
02:01Even though the dollar prices under, you know, per barrel price was $43 per barrel, so the central government has
02:08not passed back to the, you know, customers.
02:10So, what I demand, so I think the central government has to come to our people's rescue and has to
02:16reduce the fuel prices unless and until, see, one side the dollar prices have shot up,
02:20because of the, the fuel price has also gone high, because of both of these refercative effects.
02:26So, the people are under the brunt, especially the farmers are finding it very difficult to manage with the cost
02:31and government, you know, there has been a demand from the farmers to increase this, you know, the milk price.
02:39Mr. Dodere, you raised a valid point which I'll ask of the BJP, but you haven't answered my question, sir,
02:43on why the government doesn't compensate these farmers instead of passing on the price pay into consumers.
02:49Mr. Dodere, we are already compensating by giving five rupees to every farmer, every leader.
02:55So, which is already, Karnataka government is already compensating, and upon that, we are demanding the central government to come
03:00to our rescue and support not only Karnataka, but across the country.
03:03So, they have to reduce the fuel prices because of the, so we are, you know, the people are already
03:09under the, you know, brunt of this inflation.
03:11You are already aware of that, you know, food inflation has gone, retail inflation has gone.
03:16So, all sorts of unemployment rate is another side, drought is another side.
03:20I think Karnataka is the second largest drought prone state after Rajasthan, and that too dry land after Rajasthan.
03:26So, these are all the few challenges that Karnataka government is trying to handle it, but we will try to
03:31solve the problem.
03:31Okay, let me bring in the BJP.
03:33Surabhi, you have heard from the Congress, they are asking why isn't the central government doing anything to help us.
03:39Yeah, with every conversation on every issue that the Karnataka government has asked on, they first like to bring the
03:44centre in.
03:44Happy to answer that question.
03:45But first, I'd like to say that price rise and price hike in Karnataka for the last three years has
03:49become such a conversation because of the repeated, I know, hikes that the government has made, that there is now
03:55an A to Z rise, you know, alphabet A to Z rising of costs in Karnataka.
03:59From alcohol for A, buildings B, commercial C, diesel D, guidance G, fares F, emission E, I can go on
04:07from A to Z.
04:08There's literally, this is a meme that goes around on Twitter.
04:10Now, having said that, this is a very, very difficult shock on consumers.
04:14The Congress justifies it saying that we want to ensure that the farmers are protected.
04:19But let me remind them of the 2023 manifesto.
04:21The 2023 manifesto promised that they will do a rupees 5 to rupees 7 hike in subsidy that they wanted
04:28to give to farmers.
04:29Instead, what you have done is passed on this to the consumer.
04:33You never said that the consumer will be bearing the brunt.
04:36You were supposed to give this out to the government kitty.
04:38But of course, how can you give it out to the government kitty when the government is in itself, the
04:41chief minister himself coming out and saying that we are in a difficult situation.
04:44Now, economic ups and downs happen in every state, in any government.
04:47But the government has not been prudent in its spending, has not been fiscally prudent.
04:52They have a high revenue deficit.
04:53They have a low capital expenditure.
04:56It's all catching up.
04:58You should also, when we talk about, this was about milk, but on the second front on the fuel prices,
05:02the highest state taxes on fuel, on diesel and petrol is in Karnataka and the major states.
05:08Why are you, why don't you reduce that?
05:10Why is it that the government has to constantly, this is, and let me remind you, Mr. Doderi, sir,
05:16when the world was in a state of war, when our supply was threatened,
05:22it was the prime minister's government that stood very strong in ensuring that those price increases,
05:27not burdening the consumers.
05:28And this is, this is the fiscal prudence with which we operate.
05:32Absolutely no.
05:33No, let's talk numbers.
05:34Your government in the UPA had an average inflation of about 8 to 9 percent,
05:39whereas in our time, it's only about 5 percent.
05:41We are protecting consumers, whereas you are burdening them.
05:44Okay, let Mr. Doderi respond.
05:45Go ahead.
05:46See, see, I think my fellow panelist was saying about the inflation.
05:51See, I think, let me remind you that when the UPA was in power, the maximum, the highest fuel price
05:57was $140 per barrel.
05:59Even though it was $140 per barrel, so we had compensated, we had discounted the prices,
06:05and we had given a subsidy to the people, and we have sold the fuel at 57 and 67 rupees.
06:10And the gas we sold at 4.30 rupees, you still remember, it was 4.30 rupees per cylinder.
06:16But the central government, what it has done, last 10 years, more than 12 lakh crore session tax collected on
06:23a fuel,
06:23but it is not passed back to the customer.
06:25So that is why I'm demanding the central government, whatever the says collected on the fuel by the central government,
06:30why it is not passed on to the customer?
06:33Even though the fuel price is currently at $100 per barrel, so you can sell it still at, you know,
06:4070 to 80 rupees,
06:41still central government is not reduced.
06:43It has been complaining that, you know, oil companies are, were under the loss, and we are trying to compensate.
06:48So is every political party and every government irrespective of doing the same thing, that consumers suffer?
06:53Surabhi, you're seeing politics, a lot of finger pointing, but ultimately isn't the same across?
06:57My question is to my friend. So when UPA, when UPA was in power, when we given a subsidy to
07:05the customer and oil companies
07:07and reduced the fuel prices, why not the central government trying to do that?
07:11One side, they are not reducing the prices. Second side, they are adding a subsidy.
07:14Okay, let her answer.
07:15It is not transferred back to the customer.
07:18All these attempts to turn the conversation into something that it is not, you know, I know,
07:26and everybody has access to enough analysis on YouTube today as to why the central government
07:30made the decisions that it had to make. There was a supply shock. There was a COVID era that we
07:35had to get through.
07:36All of these things have been discussed again and again. We've talked about how we needed to compensate.
07:41You know, the refinery is, sir, may I please speak about, you refuse to talk about Karnataka.
07:47You refuse to speak about Karnataka.
07:50Why is there a, why is, can I, can I please come in, can I please, I'm explaining to you,
07:55Mr. Donk, I'm explaining to you, not just me, the central petroleum ministry has regularly explained this to you
08:03multiple times as to what are the concerns and what are the reason and rationale for the different prices.
08:09But can you give me the same explanation? Tell me, what has the impact been on Shakti scheme on the
08:14RTCs?
08:15Did you think through the impact? Have you been running in profit?
08:18We've already, no, you have not thought through. Then why did you increase the prices?
08:21Why did you burden consumers this much from everything from stamp duty to ensuring building price registration?
08:27Every day we hear of a new price hike and milk is such an important part.
08:32Why could you not give that as a subsidy instead of hiking prices and putting that burden on consumers?
08:36Please explain to the citizens, every single citizen who has to go on a daily on essential community, commodities,
08:43who has to go out and buy milk and then they came out of the curd price hike also had
08:47to be rolled back because of so much issues.
08:49What is it that you are doing? Have you been thinking through?
08:51Okay, last question.
08:52Last question. Is it not true that your own, our own chief minister has said that we are lacking in
08:58funds?
09:00First of all, what moral right does the BJP has to talk about when they imposed GSD on curd and
09:08milk products?
09:09So later when we fought for it, then you reduce it. That's a different story.
09:13But your BJP has imposed GSD on curds and milk products.
09:17So the drains, so you had imposed taxes on the customer also.
09:22Okay, so the BJP, okay, let's say the BJP, Mr. Doderi, by your argument, let's say the BJP has no
09:27right to preach here.
09:28There will still be questions from the consumer, sir, from the people.
09:31I'm talking about the transport corporation.
09:34No, I'm coming back to the transport corporation.
09:37What my friend was talking about, the transport corporation.
09:39See, Karnataka government has given 19,000 crore in the last, you know, three years.
09:43So when the BJP had handed over their power in 2023, the transport corporations were lost under almost close to
09:496,000 crore loss.
09:51So which was under the burden, when we took over the burden, we had given the transportation department about 19
09:56,000 crore.
09:57So whatever the suffering, the transport department had been doing it because of the misfortune, misdeed by the BJP government.
10:03So I think I wanted to, I just wanted to remind the BJP spokesman and the BJP leaders, when Basuraj
10:09Bhomai was there.
10:10Mr. Doderi, Mr. Doderi, Mr. Doderi, Mr. Doderi, for the dairy prices going up, you blame the central government.
10:17For the transport prices, for the bus prices going up, for the bus ticket prices going up, you're blaming the
10:23BJP.
10:24Ultimately, there will be questions, sir, that in Karnataka, in Karnataka, in Karnataka, are the state coffers empty as a
10:31result of guarantees?
10:32Mr. Doderi, just hear out my question, please.
10:35Are the state, is the state treasury, are the coffers empty because of the guarantees?
10:39Will you concede that?
10:41Because our report also highlights how in 2025, for two months, you didn't have money to pay for the Graha
10:46Lakshmi scheme.
10:48No, no, no.
10:48See, it is that we are not paying from our pocket.
10:51When we collect the taxes, based on the tax collection, we are releasing maybe under two months.
10:56I know every alternative month, you know, two months, we are releasing.
10:59That is a similar fashion the Maharaja government is doing, even Delhi government is doing, Bihar government.
11:03Where our BJP is in ruling, so they are also doing the same thing.
11:08Every two months or three months, they are releasing the guarantee schemes.
11:11So my only question is, Karnataka central government is looting the money from Karnataka and giving us a guarantee in
11:17northern states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh.
11:20Okay, that is my demand is, why don't you transfer back whatever the tax collected?
11:24Seven lakh crore every year you are collecting from Karnataka.
11:27But what is that fund you are giving back to Karnataka? It is only 53,000 crore.
11:30So why Karnataka?
11:31Karnataka is the second largest state collection in the GSD, second in FDI and number one in GSD.
11:37With all this, number one, why we are suffering the financial losses?
11:42That's because the central government is not taking care of us, sir.
11:44Whatever the money they looted, not even 10% they are giving back to us.
11:48Okay, last response would be good.
11:50Akshita, Akshita, I was waiting, may I please come in?
11:54Whatever the state for developing, compensate that.
11:56May I please come in?
11:57Okay, so it will be your last response.
11:58I was waiting for the devolution argument to come in because that is the last resort of the absolutely, you
12:03know, argument devoid Congress party.
12:05Because if I keep making that argument on what is Karnataka giving, what are we getting back?
12:09I am a Bengaluru citizen, what am I giving? Why should I be funding North Karnataka?
12:13Why should I be, you know, funding somebody else?
12:15This is the divisive language that they have been using in economics as well.
12:18Second, the Karnataka government, don't, don't, every taxpayer can say that.
12:23Every taxpayer can say that.
12:25Every taxpayer can, no, we are in the UK.
12:28I don't have time, I don't have time, please, let's make a point.
12:31This is the level of economics, this is the level of economic understanding that the Congress party has.
12:36No, no, we are just respecting the central government system.
12:39No, no, no, once again, you sit in the GST, you are all, no, you are, you are a threat
12:44to the integrity of the country.
12:46Can I please speak, Raghu Doderi?
12:47Okay, one second, Mr. Doderi, just hold on, please.
12:49I'll give you a chance to make your closing comments.
12:51I don't have much time, so we like to have clarity in this last segment.
12:54The comment made on the RTC, this was, this was reimbursement that was occurred from 2001 till 2020 as per
13:02the CHG report.
13:03This is not something that the BJP conjured out of air.
13:06The Bombay government actually gave 1000 crore in August 2022 for financial assistance.
13:10Now, knowing that this is the situation, you went ahead and started something called the Shakti scheme,
13:15which has had an impact on the RTCs.
13:18What did you do to improve that?
13:19Did you start new buses?
13:20Did you monetize?
13:21Did you increase the revenue?
13:22No, absolutely not.
13:23Instead, you come back to the same argument.
13:25The last resort, like I said, the last resort of the argument devoid Congress is to come back to the
13:30central devolution.
13:31This government, the Modi government has given 11 lakh crores plus of devolution as well as grants in aid to
13:37the Karnataka,
13:38highest ever in the record of Karnataka's history.
13:41You don't dare speak about that.
13:43We have ensured that a lot more money reaches the state.
13:45And, by the way, let me remind you, on GST, this state is also represented in the GST council.
13:50Sir, I didn't see you making any objections there.
13:53You are part and party to the GST conversations.
13:55You are unable to explain the losses per your government.
13:59Why you have not spent on capital expenditure?
14:00Final word, Raghu Duderhi, final word from you.
14:04The only question, the only question, away from all of those questions, the only question that the people…
14:10Just hold on, please, let Raghu Duderhi respond, let's not make this into a shouting match, please.
14:14We have given 19,000 crores, whereas Bhamayi government has given only 1,000 crores, but the government of Karnataka
14:20under the…
14:21Okay, Mr. Duderhi, I'll ask you a direct question.
14:23Let me ask you a direct question, sir.
14:26Away from this politics, away from the blame game.
14:28Let me ask you directly, what will it take for people of Karnataka to get some relief from this price
14:32pain?
14:33What will it take?
14:34No, we definitely, see, we are under that, we are discussing with the PNL, the chief minister is having a
14:38discussion with the president.
14:39We are trying to rescue our customers, whatever the impact is, you know, affected our customers, definitely it's our people
14:46and we will definitely take care of them.
14:48So, another way is we have already compensated them by giving 54,000 crore guarantee.
14:53This guarantee directly goes to 90% of the population who are affected.
14:57This guarantee was given because of the central government's price hike.
15:00Sir, no, no, absolutely not.
15:02You are giving this guarantee as a…
15:04Okay, you have not even given, you have not even…
15:08Akshita, it's very important to call out, 5,000 crore plus of Gruha Lakshmi of March 2025, February, March 2025,
15:14continues to remain unaccounted.
15:18Okay, okay, okay, time out, time out.
15:19I've run out of time, I'm sorry.
15:21I've run out of time.
15:21I've run out of time.
15:22Surubhi Odigere as well as Raghu Dodiri, thank you for your time for joining us here on India Today.
15:28It's a heated issue, a lot of politics, but ultimately who suffers?
15:30Because the people of Karnataka, the citizens who have to shell out that much more for basics, for essentials, who's
15:37messed up the state of affairs there, is it the state, is it the center, as the Congress says?
15:41Ultimately, it's for you to decide.
15:43You've heard from the Uth, the BJP and the Congress on this.
15:46This is the state of Congress.
15:46This is the state of Congress.