Siddaramaiah allocates Rs. 52,000 crore for implementing five guarantees
grants 45,000 crores for Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday presented Budget 2023 in the Karnataka Assembly and allocated a significant budget of Rs. 52,000 crore for the implementation of five key schemes promised by the Congress party during elections. Out of these schemes, the government has successfully rolled out the 'Shakti' and 'Gruha Jyothi' initiatives. The aim of these programs is to uplift the lives of the poor and provide them with essential resources and opportunities.
In particular, Siddaramaiah has allocated Rs. 45,000 crore exclusively for the development of Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka. This fund will be utilized for various projects such as the white topping of roads, road infrastructure enhancement, waste management systems, and the expansion of the Metro network. With the objective of improving traffic conditions and increasing Metro connectivity, an impressive sum of Rs. 30,000 crore has been allocated specifically for the Namma Metro project in Bengaluru.
The government has also announced a provision of Rs. 100 crore for the establishment and functioning of Indira canteens, which aim to provide affordable meals to the underprivileged sections of society. Additionally, in a commendable move, the government has introduced a life and accident insurance scheme worth Rs. 4 lakh for employees working in the e-commerce delivery sector, including those associated with platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Amazon.
In order to generate additional revenue for the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has increased the excise duty on Indian-made liquor by 20 percent. This includes a 10 percent hike in the excise duty on beer, raising it from 175 percent to 185 percent.
Addressing the opposition's criticism of the government's initiatives, Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of understanding the positive impact these schemes have on the lives of the state's impoverished citizens. He urged critics not to demean the people's welfare programs by labeling them as "freebies."
Siddaramaiah also expressed his disappointment with the Union government, accusing it of withholding the rightful share of taxes and recommended funds that should have been allocated to Karnataka under the 15th finance commission. He highlighted the issue of the Union government not sharing cess and surcharge with the states, resulting in a significant reduction in the tax share received by state governments. Siddaramaiah estimated that approximately Rs 5.20 lakh crore has been withheld by the Union government through cess and surcharge.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
