SHIMOGA: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said here on Wednesday that the Opposition leaders were trying to mislead the people mainly to thwart the process of development works by continuously making baseless allegations against him. “It is nothing but a systematic conspiracy being hatched against me,” he said.

Addressing a press conference, he said that he had made it clear to the people that he would give a detailed reply to each and every question that they would raise in the coming Legislature Session. Referring to mining-related controversy, he said that he had not issued even a single license for mining since he became the Chief Minister while his predecessors N. Dharam Singh issued 44 licenses and H.D. Kumaraswamy issued 47 licenses.

He said that 22 licenses were issued even during the President’s Rule before the last Assembly elections were held. “Such being the case is there any substance in the allegation against me that I have a share in the proceeds of the mining operations,” he retorted.

He hoped the people would understand the purpose behind the “low-level” allegations being made against him. He said that he had made his stand on mining clear in the last Legislature Session held at Belgaum and “I am prepared to do it again in the coming Session.”

Referring to the financial status of the State, which he discussed with the Finance Department, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that the details revealed that nearly 54 per cent of the budgetary outlay pegged at Rs. 62,414 crore for 2009-10 had been utilised in the first eight months of the financial year. Only 19 per cent of Rs. 28,453 crore was spent in the corresponding period of the last year.