Basavaraj Bommai criticizes state Budget, calls it anti-people, disappointing
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Basavaraj Bommai has criticized the 2025-26 Karnataka state budget, presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling it anti-people and a financial burden on the common citizens.
In a press statement, Bommai alleged that the budget lacks measures for economic reform and empowerment while highlighting discrepancies between last year’s budget promises and actual implementation.
Bommai pointed out that the state's total revenue for the previous year was estimated at ₹3,68,674 crore, whereas this year, the revenue projection has dropped to ₹3,58,657 crore, marking a decline of ₹10,000 crore. Similarly, the total expenditure, which was ₹3,71,383 crore last year, has been reduced to ₹3,65,865 crore in the new budget, including cuts in capital expenditure. According to him, this indicates a slowdown in the state’s economic growth for 2024-25.
The former Chief Minister also raised concerns over the fiscal deficit, stating that the government has projected it at 2.95% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), but in reality, it exceeds 3%, which he termed as mere financial adjustment. He further alleged that the state's total debt has now surged to ₹7,64,655 crore, accounting for nearly 25% of Karnataka’s GSDP, which he described as evidence of economic mismanagement.
Expressing disappointment over sector-wise allocations, Bommai said the government has slashed funds for key sectors. The education budget has been cut by 2%, while the allocation for the Women and Child Development Department has been reduced by 1%. He also criticized the lack of special funding for irrigation, rural development, and agriculture, calling it an "anti-farmer budget."
Additionally, Bommai accused the government of failing to take any bold steps to address regional imbalances. He claimed that the ₹5,000 crore allocated to the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) was merely an eyewash, as the funds allocated in the previous budget had not been fully utilized. He added that the failure to announce any special financial assistance for the development of Kittur Karnataka was another letdown for the people of that region.
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Four arrested for abduction of 19-yr-old college student; Rs 50,000 ransom bid foiled in Bengaluru
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Bengaluru (PTI): Four people, former and senior students of the same college, were arrested for allegedly abducting a 19-year-old from his hostel in the city and later demanding a ransom of Rs 50,000 for his release, police said on Monday.
The victim, a first-year BBM student, was abducted by the accused on April 11 at around 7.50 pm near his hostel in BTM Layout, they said.
However, the Madiwala police foiled the plan within four hours and rescued the kidnapped student, a native of Odisha, police said.
Of those arrested, two were former students of the same college, while the remaining two were current senior students there.
The matter came to light on the night of April 11 when information was received from a student stating that another student had been kidnapped near the college hostel in BTM Layout.
According to police, the victim was forcibly taken away in a car and held in an old house in Jayanagar on Saturday night. The accused allegedly threatened him with a knife and a fake pistol and demanded that he transfer Rs 50,000 via UPI, failing which he would be killed.
They also contacted his friends and family seeking money.
Acting swiftly, Namma 112 personnel immediately relayed the information to Madiwala police officials. Based on this information, a case was registered, and an investigation was initiated.
“Within five hours of the incident, the police, using technical surveillance, successfully rescued the kidnapped student and apprehended the accused. Further investigation is in progress,” a senior police officer said.
All the accused are aged between 19 and 23 years. One of them used his father’s car to carry out the abduction, while another former student, who had passed out from the same college, joined the group in taking the victim to the house in Jayanagar, which belonged to another accused.
Police said some money was transferred to the suspects to ensure they did not harm the victim.
Police suspect the accused are habitual offenders and are investigating their possible involvement in similar cases in the past. One of the accused was also previously involved in an extortion case, they added.
The accused were remanded to judicial custody, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
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