Mysuru, (DHNS): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday lambasted BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa for accusing the state government of misusing funds and also defended the government’s move to divert surplus funds from Mysore Minerals Limited (MML) to cooperative banks.

Speaking to reporters at Mysore Airport in Mandakalli near here, Siddaramaiah said Yeddyurappa does not have even minimum knowledge about economics. “Who is he to speak about financial matters?” he asked.

The chief minister said that the government directed MML to deposit Rs 1,000 crore with the Apex Bank to waive farmers’ loans as the government did not allocate funds for it in the budget. “What is wrong in diverting government’s money to banks for the welfare of the farmers. Is MML a foreign company? MML funds belong to the government and it is a common procedure,” he said.

The government will return the money in the next budget. Yeddyurappa, who had served as finance minister, does not know anything about MML,” he said.

Yeddyurappa had earlier said that the government has been misusing funds and pressuring MML to deposit money with the Apex Bank.

Siddaramaiah said the financial condition of the state is stable and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, also an economist, has appreciated the state.