Photo by G Mohan
Bengaluru: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had presented his seventh state Budget for the year 2020-21, on Thursday, March 5. While the experts call it a good budget, keeping in mind the deficit in the exchequer, the Opposition leaders have termed it a “budget with no vision”.
Reacting to the state budget tabled by CM BSY in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders called it a ‘below average’ budget.
Congress legislator Priyank Kharge addressed the media earlier today, and also made series of tweets reacting to the state budget.
He told the media, “There is no information based on departments so as to how much fund has been allotted to the Kalyana-Karnataka region. During the regime of the Congress-JD(S) state coalition government, we had released Rs 1500 crores towards the region. But this time around, CM BSY did not even mention funds being allotted to the region in his speech. By this, he has done injustice to the people of Kalyana-Karnataka. We will protest this in the coming days.”
Taking to Twitter he wrote, “The budget for Kalyana-Karnataka by the BJP government is nill. The future of the people of Kalyana-Karnataka cannot be transformed just by changing the name of North Karnataka to Kalyana-Karnataka. The BJP had rejected 371J and even in this budget, they have neglected the region. Where are the politicians, who said that the Congress had not served justice to them and resigned from their posts?”
?????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????..! ???? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????????.
?????? ? ????? 371J ????? ??????????????. ?? ???????????? ? ??????????? ??????????.
????????? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????????? ????????????— Priyank Kharge / ????????? ????? (@PriyankKharge) March 5, 2020
In another tweet, he wrote, “Hike on Petrol, Diesel & other taxes to compensate for education in funds from the centre. Double whammy for the citizens of the state. Without getting approval from CCEA, just announcing funds for suburban rail serves no purpose. [sic]”
Hike on Petrol, Diesel & other taxes to compensate for reduction in funds from the centre. Double whammy for the citizens of the state.
Without getting approval from CCEA, just announcing funds for suburban rail serves no purpose
— Priyank Kharge / ????????? ????? (@PriyankKharge) March 5, 2020
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, in his first reaction on the budget said, “This is a budget with no vision of development. The only change that CM BSY has done is he has bifurcated the fund allocation into six sectors instead of six departments. It is a budget which is completely against the backward section, farmers, and minorities. Not even a single sector has been identified on a priority basis. The GDP of the state is showing one percent downward trend, which is lesser than expected. By presenting a budget while wearing a green shawl, does it make the farmers life any better? Wearing any kind of shawl is okay for me, but why present a false budget? Loan waiver for farmers has not been mentioned at all in the budget”
“Is it necessary for the people (BJP) who opposed 371 (J) for the Kalyana-Karnataka, work for their betterment, atleast now? They say ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, but no special schemes have been announced for the minorities, backwards section and other weaker sections of the society. Petrol and diesel rates have been hiked and taxes on liquor have been increased. Moreover, the state has not been receiving the necessary funds from the Centre from a couple of months. Overall, this is budget that has no motive and vision,” he added.
Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said, “BSY government has continued most of the policies and schemes tabled when I was the CM in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Farmers have been neglected, as not even one sentence on loan waiver has been mentioned. This is a below-average budget. BSY has become completely dependent on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government’s schemes and policies. From the past several months, the state has been receiving very less fund share from the Centre, be it from GST or yearly fund allocation.”
Congress leader D K Shivakumar said, “Overall, this is a bland budget. It is a budget without a vision. I can say that this budget is one of the weakest budgets presented by CM BSY so far in his political career.”
